EVT0010849_-_PDS_-_Bid_Amendment_1.pdf

Office of Procurement and Contracts Phone: 785-296-2376 900 SW Jackson St., Room 1001 North Fax: 785-296-7240 Topeka, KS 66612 www.admin.ks.gov/procurement-and-contracts

Adam C. Proffitt, Secretary Laura Kelly, Governor Todd Herman, Director

Amendment Request for Proposal

Date: July 8, 2026

Amendment Number: 1

Event Number: EVT0010849

Closing Date: July 23, 2026, 2:00 PM CST

Procurement Officer: Tyrone Gasper

Telephone: 785-296-3126

E-Mail Address: Tyrone.Gasper@ks.gov

Agency: Kansas Department of Health and Environment

Item: Pharmaceutical Digital Solution (PDS)

Conditions: 1) Answers to submitted questions follow on page two (2) of this document.

2) The bid event has been hereby extended to July 23, 2026.

A signed copy of this Addendum must be submitted with your bid. If your bid response has been returned, submit this Addendum by the closing date indicated above.

I (We) have read and understand this addendum and agree it is a part of my (our) bid response.

NAME OF COMPANY OR FIRM:

SIGNED BY:

TITLE: DATE:

It shall be the vendor's responsibility to monitor this website on a regular basis for any changes/addenda.

http://admin.ks.gov/offices/procurement-contract http://www.admin.ks.gov/procurement-and-contracts mailto:Tyrone.Gasper@ks.gov http://admin.ks.gov/offices/procurement-contract

Event ID: EVT0010849

EVT0010849 – Amendment 1

Pharmaceutical Digital Solution (PDS)

Questions and Answers

Q1: The RFP describes a broad Pharmaceutical Digital Solution with forecasting, analytics, litigation/regulatory monitoring, and evidence browsing. That said, what specific user groups, workflows, and decision-making use cases will KDHE-DHCF prioritize in the initial compared to the long run? Clarifying priorities will help us scope the needs accurately.

A1: The PDS will primarily be used by the pharmaceutical team to gather insights on drugs (especially newer FDA approvals). This resource would have the reliability, robustness and comprehensiveness to enable us to efficiently make decisions on policy and utilization management strategies. It would also help us make decisions on Supplemental Rebate contracts with drug manufacturers.

Q2: Although the solicitation emphasizes continuously updated content, evidence-based reports, and rapid refresh cycles, it does not give details. Based on this, our question is what are the required source libraries, data feeds, refresh frequencies, and acceptable levels of “real-time” or “near real-time” update performance?

A2: Among other things, we manually monitor for new drug approvals, new indications to existing drugs, new formulations, new guidelines, and new medical literature. Our intention is to be able to gather insights to be timely and efficient. We desire updates to be as close to real time as possible.

Q3: How does the State want vendors to handle data hosting, access, and residency for production and non-production environments, especially given the requirement that all AGENCY data remain in the United States? The data security attachment imposes strict U.S.-only hosting, storage, and access expectations, so we seek clarity on architecture, subcontractors, and any approved cloud providers.

A3: The vendors are responsible for any subcontractors they hire; they should ensure they meet the requirements of the contract.

Q4: What level of integration, export, and reporting functionality is expected with existing KDHE- DHCF systems, and are there specific file formats, APIs, or dashboards that must be supported?

The RFP mentions customizable reporting, role-based access, and operational dashboards, but it does not specify technical integration points or interoperability standards in the materials shown.

A4: We are not looking for integration into DHCF systems. This should be primarily a web-based browser accessible platform.

Q5: If there is a current supplier already providing this solution? If yes, is there a transition plan or structure in place that KDHE would like the respondent to abide by?

A5: There is no current supplier

Q6: What are the expected ## of sources and volume of data imports/exports?

A6: We do not anticipate importing any Agency data into the platform. We cannot provide a specific number or volume of data exports. However, we do anticipate “frequent” exports of pharmaceutical and financial analytical briefs to facilitate decisions on formulary and utilization management.

Q7: Which existing systems/platforms must the solution integrate with? How many in total?

A7: We are not looking for integration into DHCF systems. This should be primarily a web-based browser

Q8: Are APIs available for each solution/system, and what authentication standards are required?

A8: We are not looking for integration into DHCF systems. This should be primarily a web-based browser

Q9: Will KDHE provide sandbox/test environments, or shall supplier provide?

A9: We are not looking for integration into DHCF systems. This should be primarily a web-based browser

Q10: What is the expected timeline for platform development, pilot and deployment?

A10: We are not looking for integration into DHCF systems. This should be primarily a web-based browser accessible platform. We are expecting to access an “off-the-shelf” product/solution that is already marketed to other clients.

Q11: Does KDHE require a phased rollout and/or pilot approach?

A11: We are not looking for integration into DHCF systems. This should be primarily a web-based browser accessible platform.

Q12: What is the required level of onsite (if applicable) vs. remote support?

A12: We only expect remote support.

Q13: How many KDHE staff and other potential PDS users will there be, will all require the same level of training?

A13: Initially, there are 4 staff members expected to be using the PDS. There may be additional in the future.

Q14: Are training materials required (manuals, videos, LMS modules)? What is preferred?

A14: On-demand manuals and videos are not required.

Q15: Is ongoing training expected for new staff for the 5-year period of performance?

A15: No ongoing training is expected.

Q16: Will KDHE provide legacy data for migration if applicable?

A16: Not applicable.

Q17: Are there data cleansing expectations? If so, please specify

A17: Agency data will not be used. Data cleansing would only apply to PDS-sourced data.

Q18: How will KDHE weight technical vs. cost scoring?

A18: Reference Section 1.14. Evaluation of Proposals.

Q19: Are demos or proof-of-concepts part of evaluation criteria?

A19: Reference Section 1.5 Appearance Before Committee and Section 1.14 Evaluation of Proposals.

Q20: Are there page limits to the technical proposal?

A20: No

Q21: Are there page limits to the cost proposal?

A21: No

Q22: Would KDHE like the cost proposal to be further itemized by annum/ by month for direct, indirect and variable costs for the 5-year period of performance or only as structured in the RFP document? How will KDHE ensure bidders are costing scope consistently?

A22: Further itemizing the cost proposal by an annum/ by month is acceptable.

Q23: What volumes should bidders assume for data transactions and users?

A23: Not applicable. We are not looking for integration into DHCF systems. This should be primarily a web-based browser accessible platform that contains aggregated information and insights by the PDS.

Q24: Are there expected peak periods for incoming data and data analysis needs (e.g., annual pharmacy cycles)? If yes, how long are these periods per year?

A24: This is an ongoing need. We have not identified any patterns or peak periods.

Q25: Can supplier utilize resources outside of the US to support the scope of work?

A25: Yes, while we primarily rely on US-based information, there will be situations where it is necessary to use resources outside of the US. For example, some rare diseases do not have medical guidelines published by US-based medical societies. We have relied upon international guidelines in these situations. Other times, there has been the need to use medical literature from sources outside of the US.

Also, observing market trends in other countries can be helpful in predicting/forecasting, especially if the drug in question is approved outside the US and is still pending FDA-approval.

Q26: (p19 of RFP, §3.2- Use of MSA) If the Bidder has a standard Master Subscription Agreement (MSA) that all of its Product subscribers typically sign, may the Bidder use its standard MSA with KDHE if it’s the successful bidder?

A26: Yes, bidder may use its standard MSA.

Q27: (pp38-39 of RFP, Form DA-146a) May the Bidder modify and/or propose changes to any of the terms and conditions contained in DA-146a (which proposed changes would be specifically listed on a separate Exceptions Page as part of its Bid)?

A27: Refer to Section 1.18. Exceptions.

Q28: (pp10-11 of RFP, WCAG Requirements) If the Bidder is not processing KDHE’s data as part of its solution, may the Bidder either (i) waive out of the WCAG requirements; or (ii) modify and/or propose changes to the WCAG requirements as part of its Bid?

A28: Services listed are not requirements, however if provided, must be WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliant.

Q29: (pp32-33 of RFP, §4- Appendix A/Data Security Attachment) If the Bidder is a cloud-based infrastructure that does not operate Data Centers, does §4 on pp-32-33 still apply? (If YES, may the Bidder either request a waiver or propose slight changes to §4 of Appendix A as part of its Bid?)

A29: Yes, this still applies regardless of whether they run a physical data center or use a cloud-hosted data center. The vendor is responsible for ensuring that the cloud-hosted or physical (if applicable) environment meets or exceeds the requirements of number 4.

Q30: (pp33-34 of RFP, §5 and §6- Appendix A/Data Security Attachment) If the Bidder is not processing KDHE’s data as part of its solution, do §5 and §6 on pp-33-34 still apply? (If YES, may the Bidder either request a waiver or propose slight changes to §5 and §6 of Appendix A as part of its Bid?)

A30: Yes, the vendor must ensure that any data collected, shared, stored, etc., on behalf of the agency/state is maintained in accordance with all points in numbers 5 and 6.

Q31: (pp34-36 of RFP, §6, §7, §9 and §11- Appendix A/Data Security Attachment) If the Bidder is not collecting any Restricted Use Information (RUI) from KDHE as part of its solution, do §6, §7, §9 and §11 on pp-34-36 still apply? (If YES, may the Bidder either request a waiver or propose slight changes to §6, §7, §9 and §11 of Appendix A as part of its Bid?)

A31: Yes, this is all required.

END OF AMENDMENT 1 – EVT0010849