GSS26956-FLS_ALRM_rfp.pdf

6982(b) Version: 12/12/2025

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

FALSE ALARM REDUCTION SERVICES

ISSUED BY GOVERNMENT SUPPORT SERVICES

CONTRACT NUMBER GSS26956-FLS_ALRM

Contents:

I. Overview

II. Scope of Services

III. Required Information

IV. Professional Services RFP Administrative Information

V. Contract Terms and Conditions

VI. RFP Miscellaneous Information

VII. Attachments

APPENDIX A – ONLINE BID SUBMISSION PORTAL INSTRUCTIONS

APPENDIX B – COST PROPOSAL

APPENDIX C – ONLINE BID SUBMISSION PORTAL FORMS

APPENDIX D – TERMS AND CONDITIONS GOVERNING CLOUD SERVICES AND

DATA USAGE AGREEMENT

APPENDIX E – PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT DRAFT

** Ctrl+Click on the headings above will take you directly to the section.

I. Overview The State of Delaware Department of Government Support Services, on behalf of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security (DSHS) and Delaware State Police (DSP), seeks professional services to provide comprehensive False Alarm Reduction Services supporting the administration and enforcement of Delaware security system registration and false alarm requirements in accordance with Delaware Code Title 24, Chapter 12. This request for proposals (“RFP”) is issued pursuant to 29 Del. C. §§ 6981 and 6982.

The proposed schedule of events subject to the RFP is outlined below:

Public Notice Date: July 27, 2026

Deadline for Questions Date: August 5, 2026 4:30 p.m. (Local Time)

Response to Questions Posted by: Date: August 12, 2026 http://delcode.delaware.gov/title29/c069/sc06/index.shtml

STATE OF DELAWARE

Government Support Services

Deadline for Receipt of Proposals Date: August 20,2026 at 3:00 PM (Local Time)

Estimated Notification of Award Date: TBD

Each proposal must be accompanied by a transmittal letter which briefly summarizes the proposing firm’s interest in providing the required professional services. Exceptions must be recorded on the Exceptions Form.)

Furthermore, the transmittal letter must attest to the fact, at a minimum, that the Vendor shall not store or transfer non-public State of Delaware data outside of the United States. For technology related solicitations, Vendors may refer to the Delaware Department of Technology and Information identified terms and conditions included in this solicitation.

The State of Delaware reserves the right to deny any and all exceptions taken to the RFP requirements.

MANDATORY PREBID MEETING

A mandatory pre-bid meeting has not been established for this Request for Proposal.

II. Scope of Services

A. Purpose

The State of Delaware Department of Government Support Services, on behalf of Department of Safety and Homeland Security (DSHS) and Delaware State Police (DSP), seek proposals from qualified vendors to provide comprehensive False Alarm Reduction Services supporting the administration and enforcement of Delaware security system registration and false alarm requirements in accordance with Delaware Code Title 24, Chapter 12.

• The Contractor shall provide staffing, software, system administration, customer support, reporting, training, and related services necessary to operate and maintain a statewide false alarm reduction program.

• Services provided under this contract shall support Delaware State Police operations only. Local law enforcement agencies are not included within the scope of this contract unless otherwise authorized by the State.

B. Program Objectives

• The objectives of this engagement include:

• Improve compliance with Delaware security system registration requirements

• Reduce false alarm occurrences through administration and education

• Improve operational efficiency of registration and billing activities

• Provide secure, reliable, and auditable system administration

• Enhance customer service for alarm users, monitoring companies, and participating agencies

• Improve collection and reconciliation of fees and penalties

C. Scope Overview The selected vendor shall provide staffing, software, hosting, customer support, registration management, billing, collections, reporting, training, and system administration services. The Contractor shall support transition, implementation, ongoing operations, and closeout activities as required.

• The following volumes are provided for informational and proposal development purposes only and are not guarantees of future activity.

• Approximately 2,300 registration transactions annually

• Approximately 7,000 false alarm incidents annually

• Approximately 2,500 invoices generated annually

• Approximately 850 payments processed annually

• Estimated customer support volume of approximately 100 calls per month

D. Definitions

• Unless otherwise specified, terms shall have the meaning established under Delaware

Code Title 24, Chapter 12.

• “Alarm” means a security system signal that is created by the activation of a security system.

• “Arming station” means a device that allows control of a security system.

• “Automatic voice dialer” means any electrical, electronic, mechanical, or other device capable of being programmed to send a prerecorded voice message, when activated, over a telephone line, radio or other communication system, to a law enforcement authority, public safety or emergency services agency requesting dispatch.

• "Cancellation" means the process where response to a security system dispatch request is terminated when a security business for the security system site notifies the responding law enforcement agency, prior to arrival at the security system site, that there is not an existing situation at the security system site requiring law enforcement authority response.

• "Conversion" means the transaction or process by which a security business begins the servicing and/or monitoring of a previously unmonitored security system or a security system previously serviced and/or monitored by another security business.

• "Duress alarm" means a silent security system signal generated by the entry of a designated code into an arming station in order to signal that the security system user is being forced to turn off the system and requires law enforcement response.

• "False alarm" means a security system dispatch request to a law enforcement authority, when no emergency of actual or threatened criminal activity requiring immediate response exists. This definition includes signals activated by negligence, accident, mechanical failure, and electrical failure; signals activated intentionally in non-emergency situations; and signals for which the actual cause is unknown. There is a rebuttable presumption that an alarm is false if personnel responding from a law enforcement authority do not discover any evidence of unauthorized entry, criminal activity, or other emergency after following normal police procedures in investigating the incident. An alarm is not false if the security system user proves that:

o An individual activated the alarm based on a reasonable belief that an emergency or actual or threatened criminal activity requiring immediate response existed;

o The security system was activated by a violent condition of nature, including but not limited to tornadoes, floods, earthquakes and lightning, or by an electrical surge that caused physical damage to the system, as evidenced by testimony of a licensed security system contractor who has conducted an on-site inspection and personally observed the damage to the system;

o If the security system user experienced a power outage, causing the alarm to activate upon restoration of power, as evidenced by written documentation provided by Delmarva Power or other applicable provider; or, o Where there has been a cancellation as defined in paragraph (4) of this section.

• "Holdup alarm" means a silent alarm signal generated by the manual activation of a device intended to signal a robbery in progress.

• "Law enforcement authority" means any authorized representative of a law enforcement agency.

• "Local security system" means any security system, which is not monitored, that annunciates an alarm only at the security system site.

• "Monitoring" means the process by which a security business receives signals from a security system and relays a security system dispatch request for the purpose of summoning law enforcement to the security system site.

• "Monitoring station" means an office or entity whereby a security business conducts monitoring of security systems for purposes of dispatch and notification. A monitoring station shall provide a toll-free, 24-hour telephone number for use by a responding law enforcement agency.

• "Panic alarm" means an audible security system signal generated by the manual activation of a device intended to signal a life threatening or emergency situation requiring law enforcement response.

• “Regulatory Director” shall be the Trooper within the Delaware State Police selected by the Superintendent of the Delaware State Police to monitor, assist and review the management of Delaware Code Title 24 Chapter 12 Security Systems & Protective Services alarm ordinance with the "Security system administrator"

• "Person" means an individual, corporation, partnership, association, organization, or similar entity.

• "Responder" means an individual capable of reaching the security system site within 30 minutes and having access to the security system site, the code to the security system, and the authority to approve repairs to the security system.

• "Security system administrator" means a person or persons designated by the state with authority to administer, control and review false alarm reduction efforts and administer the provisions of this section.

• "Security system dispatch request" means a notification to a law enforcement authority that a security system, either manual or automatic, has been activated at a particular security system site.

• "Security system registration" means authorization granted by the security system administrator to a security system user to operate a security system.

• "Security system site" means a single fixed premises or location served by a security system or systems. Each unit, if served by a separate security system in a multi-unit building or complex, shall be considered a separate security system site.

• "Security system user" means any person or entity, which has contracted for monitoring, repair, installation or maintenance services from a security business for a security system, or which owns or operates a security system which is not monitored, maintained or repaired under contract.

• "Takeover" means the transaction or process by which a security system user takes over control of an existing security system, which was previously controlled by another security system user.

• "Verify" means at least two attempts by a security business, or its representative, to contact the security system site and/or security system user by telephone and/or other electronic means, whether or not actual contact with a person is made, to determine whether a security system signal is valid before requesting law enforcement dispatch, in an attempt to avoid an unnecessary security system dispatch request.

• "Zones" means division of devices into which a security system is divided to indicate the general location from which a security system signal is transmitted.

E. Scope of Services

1. Program Administration The Contractor shall administer activities necessary to support Delaware’s False Alarm Reduction Program including:

• Administration of registration requirements

• False alarm tracking and management

• Fee administration and collections

• Customer support services

• System administration and maintenance

• Reporting and analytics

• Public education and outreach activities

2. Registration Administration Services

The Contractor shall:

a) Receive and process security system registration applications

b) Review applications for completeness and identify missing information

c) Verify applicant information and outstanding balances prior to approval

d) Approve or deny applications in accordance with State-established criteria

e) Issue registration confirmations and denial notifications

f) Process registration renewals, updates, modifications, transfers, and closures

g) Process returned payments and maintain related records

h) Maintain registration records and account histories

3. Alarm Incident Administration

a) Receive alarm incident data from Delaware State Police in a format designated by the State

b) Import, validate, and reconcile incident records

c) Maintain complete alarm occurrence histories

d) Track false alarm occurrences and escalation thresholds

e) Maintain account histories for alarm users

f) The Contractor shall process account adjustments, corrections, and fee modifications only upon authorization from Delaware State Police. Delaware State Police shall retain final authority for appeals determinations, fee waivers, adjustments, and enforcement decisions.

4. Billing, Payment Processing, and Collections

a) Generate invoices and notifications for false alarm charges and registration fees

b) The solution shall support payment processing for, at minimum: Credit card payments, Debit card payments, Check payments. Merchant processing accounts shall remain under ownership and control of the vendor.

c) Provide secure payment processing capabilities

d) Maintain accounts receivable records

e) Conduct collection activities in accordance with State-approved procedures.

Collection activities may include written notices, email notifications, telephone outreach, and referral to third-party collection services when authorized by the State. Offerors shall describe collection methodologies and escalation procedures.

f) Process refunds, credits, adjustments, and returned payments

g) Reconcile financial activity to cash receipts

h) Maintain documentation supporting all financial transactions

i) Support financial reporting and audit activities

j) Offerors shall clearly identify in their Cost Proposal the proposed allocation of registration fees and false alarm assessments between the Contractor and the State, including any administrative fee, transaction fee, revenue-sharing methodology, or other compensation model proposed. The Cost Proposal shall clearly describe how fees collected pursuant to Delaware Code Title 24, Chapter 12, will be distributed between the Contractor and the State.

5. Customer Support Services

The Contractor shall provide customer support services including:

• Telephone support – available during normal business hours.

• Email support

• Online support capabilities – available twenty-four hours per day, seven (7) days per week.

• Support for alarm users and monitoring companies

• Support related to registrations, payments, violations, and account status

• Customer inquiries shall receive initial response within three (3) business days

• Multilingual customer support capabilities shall be provided

The Contractor shall establish escalation procedures for unresolved issues.

6. System Requirements The Contractor shall provide and maintain a secure, web-based solution supporting program administration.

The Contractor shall integrate with existing Delaware State Police systems and databases as required.

Acceptable integration methods may include API integration, secure file transfer protocol (SFTP), flat-file exchange, or other approved transfer methodologies.

Offerors shall describe proposed integration methods, dependencies, and assumptions.

Required capabilities include:

Registration Functions:

o Online registration submission o Registration renewals o Account updates o Address validation o Document upload capability o Status tracking User Functions:

o Account management o Payment processing o Historical account information o Notification management

Administrative Functions:

o Role-based access controls o Workflow management o Audit logging o Account adjustments o Search capabilities o Reporting capabilities

Monitoring Company Functions:

o Limited-access user accounts o Customer account verification o Authorized updates

7. Website Requirements

The Contractor shall provide a publicly accessible website supporting the program.

Website functions shall include:

• Registration information

• Fine schedules

• Appeals information

• Educational materials

• Frequently asked questions

• Links designated by DSP

• Contact information

• Online forms and instructions

All public-facing websites, forms, portals, and customer interfaces shall comply with applicable State accessibility requirements.

Offerors shall describe accessibility capabilities and standards supported by the proposed solution.

8. Reporting Requirements The Contractor shall provide standard and ad hoc reporting capabilities.

Required reports include, but are not limited to:

Operational Reports:

o Registrations processed o Alarm activity statistics o False alarm occurrences o Permit activity trends o Appeals activity

Financial Reports:

o Cash receipts o Outstanding balances o Aging reports o Returned payments o Adjustments and credits

The State reserves the right to request additional reporting requirements during the contract term.

9. Training and Outreach The Contractor shall provide training and educational support including:

• Administrative training

• User training materials

• Monitoring company education

• Implementation training

• Public education materials

• Refresher training as requested

10. Data Ownership and Confidentiality All information, records, registration data, account information, financial records, and related materials generated or maintained under this contract shall remain the exclusive property of the State of Delaware.

The Contractor shall:

• Execute confidentiality agreements as required

• Prevent unauthorized use or disclosure of information

• Restrict data use solely to contract purposes

• Return all State data upon request or contract completion

• Destroy retained copies in accordance with State requirements

F. IMPLEMENTATION REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall provide an implementation approach including:

• Project plan

• Implementation schedule

• System configuration activities

• Testing activities

• Training plan

• Transition support

• Contractor shall support migration of historical registration, alarm, financial, and related records from existing systems into the proposed solution.

• Offerors shall describe data conversion methodology, validation procedures, and assumptions.

The State anticipates implementation activities to begin immediately upon contract execution. Offerors shall propose an implementation schedule including configuration, testing, migration, training, parallel operations, and production deployment.

The State's desired implementation target is approximately thirty (30) calendar days following contract execution; however, offerors may propose alternative schedules with supporting rationale.

G. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall meet performance expectations established by the State.

Performance areas may include:

• Application processing timeliness

• Invoice generation timelines

• Customer response times

• System availability

• Report delivery timelines

• Financial reconciliation accuracy

Final service levels shall be established during contract negotiations.

The Contractor shall participate in operational meetings and contract performance reviews at a frequency determined by Delaware State Police.

At minimum, annual contract review meetings shall be required.

H. RECORD RETENTION

The Contractor shall maintain records supporting all program activities for a minimum period of five (5) years following final payment under the contract or longer if required by State policy or litigation hold requirements.

The Contractor shall support internal and external audits.

I. SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall maintain security controls appropriate for handling confidential information. Minimum requirements include:

• Encryption of sensitive information

• Secure user authentication

• Role-based access controls

• Logging and monitoring capabilities

• Secure hosting environment

• Incident response procedures

• Breach notification procedures

• Backup and recovery capabilities

Vendor will be expected to sign the Delaware Terms and Conditions Governing Cloud Services and Data Usage Agreement.

J. DELIVERABLES

At a minimum, the Contractor shall provide:

• Fully operational false alarm management system

• Registration portal

• Reporting capabilities

• Financial reconciliation reports

• Training materials

• Documentation

• Website content and maintenance

• Transition documentation

K. STATE RESPONSIBILITIES

The State shall:

• Provide policy guidance

• Identify designated program contacts

• Provide alarm incident files

• Approve policies and procedures

• Review and approve deliverables

• Provide required approvals and business decisions

III. Required Information The following information shall be provided in each proposal in the order listed below. Failure to respond to any request for information within this proposal may result in rejection of the proposal at the sole discretion of the State.

A. Minimum Requirements

1. Provide Delaware license(s) and/or certification(s) necessary to perform services as identified in the scope of work.

2. Vendor shall provide responses to the Request for Proposal (RFP) scope of work and clearly identify capabilities as presented in the General Evaluation Requirements below.

3. Complete all appropriate attachments and forms as identified within the RFP.

4. Proof of insurance and amount of insurance shall be furnished to the Agency prior to the start of the contract period and shall be no less than as identified in the RFP, Section G, Item 8 (insurance).

B. General Evaluation Requirements

1. Experience and Reputation

2. Expertise

3. Capacity to meet requirements (size, financial condition, etc.)

4. Demonstrated ability

5. Other criteria necessary for a quality cost-effective project

IV. Professional Services RFP Administrative Information A. RFP Issuance

1. Public Notice

Public notice has been provided in accordance with 29 Del. C. § 6981.

2. Obtaining Copies of the RFP This RFP is available in electronic form through the State of Delaware Procurement website at https://www.bids.delaware.gov/ and https://gss.bonfirehub.com/. Paper copies of this RFP will not be available.

http://delcode.delaware.gov/title29/c069/sc06/index.shtml#6981 https://www.bids.delaware.gov/ https://gss.bonfirehub.com/

3. Assistance to Vendors with a Disability

Vendors with a disability may receive accommodation regarding the means of communicating this RFP or participating in the procurement process. For more information, contact the Designated Contact no later than ten days prior to the deadline for receipt of proposals.

4. RFP Designated Contact All requests, questions, or other communications about this solicitation shall be made in writing through the online bid submission portal. Address all communications to the person listed below; communications made to other State of Delaware personnel or attempting to ask questions by phone or in person will not be allowed or recognized as valid and may disqualify the vendor. Vendors should rely only on written statements issued by the solicitation designated contact, through an addendum posted on https://mmp.delaware.gov/Bids/ and https://gss.bonfirehub.com/. The designated contact for this solicitation is:

Courtney Strickland

5. Consultants and Legal Counsel The State of Delaware may retain consultants or legal counsel to assist in the review and evaluation of this RFP and the vendors’ responses. Vendors shall not contact the State’s consultant or legal counsel on any matter related to the RFP.

6. Contact with State Employees Direct contact with State of Delaware employees other than the State of Delaware Designated Contact regarding this RFP is expressly prohibited without prior consent.

Vendors directly contacting State of Delaware employees risk elimination of their proposal from further consideration. Exceptions exist only for organizations currently doing business in the State who require contact in the normal course of doing that business.

7. Organizations Ineligible to Respond Any individual, business, organization, corporation, consortium, partnership, joint venture, or any other entity including subcontractors currently debarred or suspended is ineligible to respond. Any entity ineligible to conduct business in the State of Delaware for any reason is ineligible to respond to the RFP.

8. Exclusions The Proposal Evaluation Team reserves the right to refuse to consider any proposal from a vendor who:

a. Has been convicted for commission of a criminal offense as an incident to obtaining or attempting to obtain a public or private contract or subcontract, or in the performance of the contract or subcontract:

b. Has been convicted under State or Federal statutes of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, receiving stolen property, or other offense indicating a lack of business integrity or business honesty that currently and seriously affects responsibility as a State contractor:

c. Has been convicted or has had a civil judgment entered for a violation under State or Federal antitrust statutes:

d. Has violated contract provisions such as;

https://gss.bonfirehub.com/ https://mmp.delaware.gov/Bids/

1) Known failure without good cause to perform in accordance with the specifications or within the time limit provided in the contract; or

2) Failure to perform or unsatisfactory performance in accordance with terms of one or more contracts;

e. Has violated ethical standards set out in law or regulation; and

f. Any other cause listed in regulations of the State of Delaware determined to be serious and compelling as to affect responsibility as a State contractor, including suspension or debarment by another governmental entity for a cause listed in the regulations.

B. RFP Submissions

1. Acknowledgement of Understanding of Terms By submitting a proposal, each vendor shall be deemed to acknowledge that it has carefully read all sections of this RFP, including all forms, schedules and exhibits hereto, and has fully informed itself as to all existing conditions and limitations.

2. Proposals Solicitation responses must be submitted through the online bid submission portal.

Refer to Appendix A – Online Bid Submission Portal Instructions for specific instructions.

3. Proposal Modifications Vendors will have the ability to modify their submissions up to the Submission Deadline in the online bid submission portal.

4. Proposal Costs and Expenses The State of Delaware will not pay any costs incurred by any Vendor associated with any aspect of responding to this solicitation, including proposal preparation, printing or delivery, attendance at vendor’s conference, system demonstrations or negotiation process.

5. Proposal Expiration Date Prices quoted in the proposal shall remain fixed and binding on the vendor at least through December 31, 202. The State of Delaware reserves the right to ask for an extension of time if needed.

6. Late Proposals Proposals submitted after the specified date and time will not be accepted by the online bid submission portal. Evaluation of the proposals is expected to begin shortly after the proposal due date. To document compliance with the deadline, the proposal will be date and time stamped upon receipt within the online bid submission portal.

7. Proposal Opening The State of Delaware will receive proposals until the date and time shown in this RFP.

Proposals will be opened in the presence of State of Delaware personnel. Any unopened proposals will be returned to the submitting Vendor.

8. Non-Conforming Proposals Non-conforming proposals will not be considered. Non-conforming proposals are defined as those that do not meet the requirements of this RFP. The determination of https://gss.bonfirehub.com/ https://gss.bonfirehub.com/ https://gss.bonfirehub.com/ whether an RFP requirement is substantive or a mere formality shall reside solely within the State of Delaware.

9. Concise Proposals The State of Delaware discourages overly lengthy and costly proposals. It is the desire that proposals be prepared in a straightforward and concise manner. Unnecessarily elaborate brochures or other promotional materials beyond those sufficient to present a complete and effective proposal are not desired. The State of Delaware’s interest is in the quality and responsiveness of the proposal.

10. Realistic Proposals It is the expectation of the State of Delaware that vendors can fully satisfy the obligations of the proposal in the manner and timeframe defined within the proposal.

Proposals must be realistic and must represent the best estimate of time, materials and other costs including the impact of inflation and any economic or other factors that are reasonably predictable.

The State of Delaware shall bear no responsibility or increase obligation for a vendor’s failure to accurately estimate the costs or resources required to meet the obligations defined in the proposal.

11. Confidentiality of Documents Subject to applicable law or the order of a court of competent jurisdiction to the contrary, all documents submitted as part of the vendor’s solicitation response (response) will be treated as confidential during the evaluation process. As such, vendor responses will not be available for review by anyone other than the State of Delaware Evaluation Team or its designated agents. There shall be no disclosure of any vendor’s information until a fully executed contract is received unless such disclosure is required by law or by order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

The State of Delaware and its constituent agencies are required to comply with the State of Delaware Freedom of Information Act, 29 Del. C. § 10001, et seq. (“FOIA”).

FOIA requires that the State of Delaware’s records are public records (unless otherwise declared by FOIA or other law to be exempt from disclosure) and are subject to inspection and copying by any person upon a written request. Once fully executed contracts are received, the contents of all vendor responses are subject to FOIA’s public disclosure obligations and exemptions.

The State of Delaware wishes to create a business-friendly environment and procurement process. As such, the State respects the vendor community’s desire to protect its intellectual property, trade secrets, and confidential business information (collectively referred to herein as “confidential business information”). Responses must contain sufficient information to be evaluated. Through the online bid submission portal, vendors will submit two copies of their solicitation response. One shall be marked original containing the full solicitation response. The second shall be marked redacted copy, redacting those items the vendor is looking to mark confidential.

The redacted copy must include the completed confidentiality form describing the items redacted, representing in good faith that the information is not “public record” as defined by 29 Del. C. § 10002, and briefly stating the reasons that each redaction meets the said definitions.

A vendor’s allegation as to its confidential business information shall not be binding on the State. The State shall independently determine the validity of any vendor designation as set forth in this section. Any vendor submitting a response to the solicitation herein expressly accepts the State’s absolute right and duty to independently assess the legal and factual validity of any information designated as confidential business information. Accordingly, Vendor(s) assume the risk that confidential business information included within a response to a solicitation may enter the public domain.

12. Multi-Vendor Solutions (Joint Ventures) Multi-vendor solutions (joint ventures) will be allowed only if one of the venture partners is designated as the “prime contractor”. The “prime contractor” must be the joint venture’s contact point for the State of Delaware and be responsible for the joint venture’s performance under the contract, including all project management, legal and financial responsibility for the implementation of all vendor systems. If a joint venture is proposed, a copy of the joint venture agreement clearly describing the responsibilities of the partners must be submitted with the proposal. Services specified in the proposal shall not be subcontracted without prior written approval by the State of Delaware, and approval of a request to subcontract shall not in any way relieve Vendor of responsibility for the professional and technical accuracy and adequacy of the work. Further, vendor shall be and remain liable for all damages to the State of Delaware caused by negligent performance or non-performance of work by its subcontractor or its sub-subcontractor.

Multi-vendor proposals must be a consolidated response with all cost included in the cost summary. Where necessary, RFP response pages are to be duplicated for each vendor.

a. Primary Vendor

The State of Delaware expects to negotiate and contract with only one “prime vendor”. The State of Delaware will not accept any proposals that reflect an equal teaming arrangement or from vendors who are co-responding on this RFP. The prime vendor will be responsible for the management of all subcontractors.

Any contract that may result from this RFP shall specify that the prime vendor is solely responsible for fulfillment of any contract with the State as a result of this procurement. The State will make contract payments only to the awarded vendor.

Payments to any-subcontractors are the sole responsibility of the prime vendor (awarded vendor).

Nothing in this section shall prohibit the State of Delaware from the full exercise of its options under Section IV.B.18 regarding multiple source contracting.

b. Sub-contracting The vendor selected shall be solely responsible for contractual performance and management of all subcontract relationships. This contract allows subcontracting assignments; however, vendors assume all responsibility for work quality, delivery, installation, maintenance, and any supporting services required by a subcontractor.

Use of subcontractors must be clearly explained in the proposal, and major subcontractors must be identified by name. The prime vendor shall be wholly responsible for the entire contract performance whether or not subcontractors are used. Any sub-contractors must be approved by State of Delaware.

c. Multiple Proposals A primary vendor may not participate in more than one proposal in any form. Sub-contracting vendors may participate in multiple joint venture proposals.

13. Sub-Contracting

The vendor selected shall be solely responsible for contractual performance and management of all subcontract relationships. This contract allows subcontracting assignments; however, vendors assume all responsibility for work quality, delivery, installation, maintenance, and any supporting services required by a subcontractor.

Use of subcontractors must be clearly explained in the proposal, and subcontractors must be identified by name. Any sub-contractors must be approved by State of Delaware.

14. Discrepancies and Omissions Vendor is fully responsible for the completeness and accuracy of their proposal, and for examining this RFP and all addenda. Failure to do so will be at the sole risk of vendor. Should vendor find discrepancies, omissions, unclear or ambiguous intent or meaning, or should any questions arise concerning this RFP, vendor shall notify the State of Delaware’s Designated Contact, in writing, of such findings at least ten (10) days before the proposal opening. This will allow issuance of any necessary addenda.

It will also help prevent the opening of a defective proposal and exposure of vendor’s proposal upon which award could not be made. All unresolved issues should be addressed in the proposal.

Protests based on any omission or error, or on the content of the solicitation, will be disallowed if these faults have not been brought to the attention of the Designated Contact, in writing, at least ten (10) calendar days prior to the time set for opening of the proposals.

• RFP Question and Answer Process

The State of Delaware will allow written requests for clarification of this solicitation.

All questions with regard to the interpretation of this solicitation, drawings, or specifications, or any other aspect of this solicitation must be received through the online bid submission portal by August 5, 2026 4:30 p.m. local time, referencing the section, page number, text of passage being questioned, and the question. All questions will be answered in writing by August 12, 2026, with responses posted on https://bids.delaware.gov and https://gss.bonfirehub.com/.

15. State’s Right to Reject Proposals

The State of Delaware reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals or any part of any proposal, to waive defects, technicalities or any specifications (whether they be in the State of Delaware’s specifications or vendor’s response), to sit and act as sole judge of the merit and qualifications of each product offered, or to solicit new proposals on the same project or on a modified project which may include portions of https://gss.bonfirehub.com/ https://gss.bonfirehub.com/ https://bids.delaware.gov/ the originally proposed project as the State of Delaware may deem necessary in the best interest of the State of Delaware.

16. State’s Right to Cancel Solicitation The State of Delaware reserves the right to cancel this solicitation at any time during the procurement process, for any reason or for no reason. The State of Delaware makes no commitments expressed or implied, that this process will result in a business transaction with any vendor.

This RFP does not constitute an offer by the State of Delaware. Vendor’s participation in this process may result in the State of Delaware selecting your organization to engage in further discussions and negotiations toward execution of a contract. The commencement of such negotiations does not, however, signify a commitment by the State of Delaware to execute a contract nor to continue negotiations. The State of Delaware may terminate negotiations at any time and for any reason, or for no reason.

17. State’s Right to Award Multiple Source Contracting Pursuant to 29 Del. C. § 6986, the State of Delaware may award a contract for a particular professional service to two or more vendors if the agency head makes a determination that such an award is in the best interest of the State of Delaware.

18. Potential Contract Overlap Vendors shall be advised that the State, at its sole discretion, shall retain the right to solicit for goods and/or services as required by its agencies and as it serves the best interest of the State. As needs are identified, there may exist instances where contract deliverables, and/or goods or services to be solicited and subsequently awarded, overlap previous awards. The State reserves the right to reject any or all proposals in whole or in part, to make partial awards, to award to multiple vendors during the same period, to award by types, on a zone-by-zone basis or on an item-by-item or lump sum basis item by item, or lump sum total, whichever may be most advantageous to the State of Delaware.

19. Supplemental Solicitation The State reserves the right to advertise a supplemental solicitation during the term of the Agreement if deemed in the best interest of the State.

20. Notification of Withdrawal of Proposal Vendors will have the ability to withdraw their submissions up to the Submission Deadline in the online bid submission portal.

21. Revisions to the RFP If it becomes necessary to revise any part of the RFP, an addendum will be posted on the State of Delaware’s website at https://www.bids.delaware.gov/ and https://gss.bonfirehub.com/. The State of Delaware is not bound by any statement related to this RFP made by any State of Delaware employee, contractor or its agents.

22. Exceptions to the RFP Any exceptions to the RFP, or the State of Delaware’s terms and conditions, must be recorded on the Exceptions Form. Acceptance of exceptions is within the sole discretion of the evaluation committee.

https://www.bids.delaware.gov/

23. Business References Provide three (3) business references consisting of current or previous customers of similar scope and value, completing the Business Reference Form. Include business name, mailing address, contact name and email, number of years doing business with, and type of work performed. Personal references cannot be considered.

24. Award of Contract

The final award of a contract is subject to approval by the State of Delaware. The State of Delaware has the sole right to select the successful vendor(s) for award, to reject any proposal as unsatisfactory or non-responsive, to award a contract to other than the lowest priced proposal, to award multiple contracts, or not to award a contract, as a result of this RFP.

Notice in writing to a vendor of the acceptance of its proposal by the State of Delaware and the subsequent full execution of a written contract will constitute a contract, and no vendor will acquire any legal or equitable rights or privileges until the occurrence of both such events.

a. RFP Award Notifications

After reviews of the evaluation committee report and its recommendation, and once the contract terms and conditions have been finalized, the State of Delaware will award the contract.

The contract shall be awarded to the vendor whose proposal is most advantageous, taking into consideration the evaluation factors set forth in the RFP.

It should be explicitly noted that the State of Delaware is not obligated to award the contract to the vendor who submits the lowest proposal or the vendor who receives the highest total point score, rather the contract will be awarded to the vendor whose proposal is the most advantageous to the State of Delaware. The award is subject to the appropriate State of Delaware approvals.

After a final selection is made, the winning vendor will be invited to negotiate a contract with the State of Delaware; remaining vendors will be notified in writing of their selection status.

25. Cooperatives

Vendors, who have been awarded similar contracts through a competitive proposal process with a cooperative, are welcome to submit the cooperative pricing for this solicitation. State of Delaware terms will take precedence.

C. RFP Evaluation Process

An evaluation team composed of representatives of the State of Delaware will evaluate proposals on a variety of quantitative criteria. Neither the lowest price nor highest scoring proposal will necessarily be selected.

The State of Delaware reserves full discretion to determine the competence and responsibility, professionally and/or financially, of vendors. Vendors are to provide in a timely manner any and all information that the State of Delaware may deem necessary to make a decision.

1. Proposal Evaluation Team The Proposal Evaluation Team shall be comprised of representatives of the State of Delaware. The Team shall determine which vendors meet the minimum requirements pursuant to selection criteria of the RFP and procedures established in 29 Del. C. §§ 6981 and 6982. Professional services for this solicitation are considered under 29 Del.

C. § 6982(b). The Team may negotiate with one or more vendors during the same period and may, at its discretion, terminate negotiations with any or all vendors. The Team shall make a recommendation regarding the award to the Director, Government Support Services, who shall have final authority, subject to the provisions of this RFP and 29 Del. C. § 6982(b), to award a contract to the successful vendor in the best interests of the State of Delaware.

2. Proposal Selection Criteria The Proposal Evaluation Team shall assign up to the maximum number of points for each Evaluation Item to each of the proposing vendor’s proposals. All assignments of points shall be at the sole discretion of the Proposal Evaluation Team.

The proposals shall contain the essential information on which the award decision shall be made. The information required to be submitted in response to this RFP has been determined by the State of Delaware to be essential for use by the Team in the proposal evaluation and award process. Therefore, all instructions contained in this RFP shall be met in order to qualify as a responsive and responsible contractor and participate in the Proposal Evaluation Team’s consideration for award. Proposals which do not meet or comply with the instructions of this RFP may be considered non-conforming and deemed non-responsive and subject to disqualification at the sole discretion of the Team.

The Team reserves the right to:

• Select for contract or for negotiations a proposal other than that with lowest costs.

• Reject any and all proposals or portions of proposals received in response to this

RFP or to make no award or issue a new RFP.

• Waive or modify any information, irregularity, or inconsistency in proposals received.

• Request modification to proposals from any or all vendors during the contract review and negotiation.

• Negotiate any aspect of the proposal with any vendor and negotiate with more than one vendor at the same time.

• Select more than one vendor pursuant to 29 Del. C. § 6986.

Criteria Weight All proposals shall be evaluated using the same criteria and scoring process. The following criteria shall be used by the Evaluation Team to evaluate proposals:

Criteria Points Organizational Experience and Qualifications 15 Technical Solution and System Capabilities 20 Implementation Approach and Project Management 15 Operational Approach and Service Delivery Model 20 Reporting, Financial Administration, and Compliance 10 Staffing, Training, and Customer Support 10 Cost Proposal / Pricing Structure 10 Total 100

Vendors are encouraged to review the evaluation criteria and to provide a response that addresses each of the scored items. Evaluators will not be able to make assumptions about a vendor’s capabilities so the responding vendor should be detailed in their proposal responses.

3. Proposal Clarification The Evaluation Team may contact any vendor in order to clarify uncertainties or eliminate confusion concerning the contents of a proposal. Proposals may not be modified as a result of any such clarification request.

4. References The Evaluation Team may contact any customer of the vendor, whether or not included in the vendor’s reference list, and use such information in the evaluation process.

Additionally, the State of Delaware may choose to visit existing installations of comparable systems, which may or may not include vendor personnel. If the vendor is involved in such site visits, the State of Delaware will pay travel costs only for State of Delaware personnel for these visits.

5. Oral Presentations After initial scoring and a determination that vendor(s) are qualified to perform the required services, selected vendors may be invited to make oral presentations to the Evaluation Team. All vendor(s) selected will be given an opportunity to present to the Evaluation Team.

The selected vendors will have their presentations scored or ranked based on their ability to successfully meet the needs of the contract requirements, successfully demonstrate their product and/or service, and respond to questions about the solution capabilities.

The vendor representative(s) attending the oral presentation shall be technically qualified to respond to questions related to the proposed system and its components.

All of the vendor's costs associated with participation in oral discussions and system demonstrations conducted for the State of Delaware are the vendor’s responsibility.

V. Contract Terms and Conditions

A. Mandatory Contract Use REF: Title 29, Chapter 6911(d) Delaware Code. All Covered Agencies as defined in 29 Del. C. § 6902(6) shall procure all material, equipment and nonprofessional services through the statewide contracts administered by Government Support Services, Office of Management and Budget. Delaware State University, Delaware Technical and Community College, school districts, and the Legislative Branch are specifically exempted from the mandatory use requirements of this subchapter. In addition, the Delaware Transit Corporation is exempt from the entire procurement chapter. Pursuant to 29 Del. C. § 6904(l) and (n) respectively, the Department of Elections and the Board of Pension Trustees have certain exemptions from the procurement chapter which may or may not apply to this Request for Proposals.

This contract shall be accessible to any School District, Political Subdivision, Municipality, Volunteer Fire Company, or higher education entity receiving state funds. Furthermore, this contract shall be accessible to all other entities as identified by Del. Code, Chapter 69, Title 29 § 6910.

B. Cooperative Use of Award As a publicly competed contract awarded in compliance with 29 DE Code Chapter 69, this contract is available for use by other states and/or governmental entities through a participating addendum. Interested parties should contact the State Contract Procurement Officer identified in the contract for instruction. Final approval for permitting participation in this contract resides with the Director of Government Support Services and in no way places any obligation upon the awarded vendor(s).

C. General Information

1. The term of the contract between the successful vendor(s) and the State shall be for three (3) years with three (3) optional extensions for a period of one (1) year for each extension.

2. As a Service subscription license costs shall be incurred at the individual license level only as the individual license is utilized within a fully functioning solution. Subscription costs will not be applicable during periods of implementation and solution development prior to the State’s full acceptance of a working solution. Additional subscription license requests above actual utilization may not exceed 5% of the total and are subject to Delaware budget and technical review.

3. The selected vendor will be required to enter into a written agreement…