IFB 88-250035-CK DRAFT 2.3.25.pdf

Invitation for Bid (IFB) Software and Software Support

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA INVITATION FOR BIDS NO. 88-250035-CK

CENTRAL PIEDMONT COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Procurement Department Offers will be publicly opened: 2/24/2025

Issue Date: 2/12/2025 Refer ALL inquiries regarding this IFB to:

Connie Kilgo Connie.kilgo@cpcc.edu

Commodity Number: 811122

Description of Solicitation: AMAG-Symmetry Platinum Software Support Agreement

Using Agency: Central Piedmont Community College

See page 2 for mailing instructions. Requisition No.: PR12857826

OFFER AND ACCEPTANCE

The State seeks offers for the Software, Services and/or goods described in this solicitation. The State’s acceptance of any offer must be demonstrated by execution of the acceptance found below and any subsequent Request for Best and Final Offer, if issued. Acceptance shall create a contract having an order of precedence as follows: In cases of conflict between documents comprising the contract, the order of precedence shall be (1) Best and Final Offers, if any, (2) special terms and conditions specific to this IFB, (3) specifications, (4) Department of Information Technology Terms and Conditions of this IFB, and (5) the agreed portions of the awarded Vendor’s offer. No contract shall be binding on the State until an encumbrance of funds has been made for payment of the sums due under the contract.

EXECUTION

In compliance with this IFB and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned offers and agrees to furnish any or all Services or goods upon which prices are offered, at the price(s) offered herein, within the time specified herein. By executing this offer, I certify that this offer is submitted competitively and without collusion.

Failure to execute/sign offer prior to submittal shall render offer invalid. Late offers are not acceptable.

OFFEROR:

STREET ADDRESS: P.O. BOX: ZIP:

CITY, STATE & ZIP: TELEPHONE NUMBER: TOLL FREE TEL.

NO

PRINT NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING: FAX NUMBER:

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE: DATE: E-MAIL:

Offer valid for sixty (60) days from date of offer opening unless otherwise stated here: ____ days

ACCEPTANCE OF OFFER

If any or all parts of this IFB are accepted, an authorized representative of Department of Information Technology shall affix their signature hereto. A copy of this acceptance will be forwarded to the successful vendor(s).

FOR STATE USE ONLY

Offer accepted and contract awarded _____________________________________, as indicated on attached certification, by _____________________________________________ (Authorized representative of Central Piedmont Community College).

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 INTENT, USE, DURATION AND SCOPE

IFB Number: 88-250035-CK

Page 2 of 23 May 13, 2024

2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1. VENDOR QUESTIONS

2.2. ADDENDA

2.3. OFFER SUBMITTAL

2.4. BASIS FOR REJECTION

2.5. LATE OFFERS

2.6. NON-RESPONSIVE OFFERS

2.7. NOTICE TO VENDOR(S)

2.8. E-PROCUREMENT SOLICITATION

2.9. DISTRIBUTORS AND RESELLERS

2.10. POSSESSION AND REVIEW

2.11. BEST AND FINAL OFFERS (BAFO)

2.12. AWARD

2.13. POINTS OF CONTACT

3.0 SPECIFICATIONS

3.1. VENDOR STANDARD AGREEMENT(S)

3.2. VENDOR UTILIZATION OF WORKERS OUTSIDE U.S

3.3. E-VERIFY

3.4 BRAND SPECIFIC PRODUCT

3.5. SECURITY SPECIFICATIONS

3.6 ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE SPECIFICATIONS

3.8. DELIVERY

3.9. CONTRACT TERM

4.0 FURNISH AND DELIVER

5.0 HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESSES

6.0 DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

7.0 DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TERMS AND CONDITIONS

8.0 CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

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1.0 INTENT, USE, DURATION AND SCOPE

The purpose of this IFB is to obtain pricing for and procure AMAG software and support for Central Piedmont Community College. Products and Services will be provided in accordance with the terms and conditions of this IFB.

2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1. VENDOR QUESTIONS

All inquiries regarding the solicitation specifications or requirements are to be addressed to the contact person listed on Page One of this solicitation. Vendors contact regarding this Solicitation with anyone other than the contact person listed on Page One of this Solicitation may be grounds for rejection of said Vendor’s offer.

Written questions concerning this Solicitation will be received until February 17, 2025, at 2:00pm Eastern Time. They must be submitted to the contact person listed on Page One of this Solicitation.

Please enter “Questions Solicitation 88-230035-CK” as the subject for the message.

2.2. ADDENDA

The State may issue addenda if Vendor questions are permitted as described below, or if additional terms, specifications, or other changes are necessary for this procurement. All addenda shall become an Addendum to this IFB.

2.3. OFFER SUBMITTAL

Due Date: February 24, 2025 Time: 2:00pm Eastern Time Eastern Time

IMPORTANT NOTE: It is the Vendor’s sole responsibility to upload their offer to the Electronic Vendor Portal by the specified time and date of opening. Vendor shall bear the risk for late electronic submission due to unintended or unanticipated delay, including but not limited to internet issues, network issues, local power outages, or application issues. Vendor must include all the pages of this solicitation in their response.

Sealed offers, subject to the conditions made a part hereof, will be received until 2:00pm Eastern Time on the day of opening and then opened, for furnishing and delivering the commodity as described herein. Offers must be submitted via the Electronic Vendor Portal with the Execution page signed and dated by an official authorized to bind the Vendor’s firm. Failure to return a signed offer shall result in disqualification.

Attempts to submit a proposal via facsimile (FAX) machine, telephone, email, email attachments, or in any hardcopy format in response to this Bid SHALL NOT be accepted and will automatically be deemed Non-Responsive.

a) Submit one (1) signed, original electronic offer through the Electronic Vendor Portal.

b) All File names should start with the Vendor name first, in order to easily determine all the files to be included as part of the vendor’s response. For example, files should be named as follows:

Vendor Name-your file name.

c) File contents SHALL NOT be password protected, the file formats must be in .PDF, .JPEG, .DOC or .XLS format, and shall be capable of being copied to other sources. Inability by the

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State to open the Vendor’s files may result in the Vendor’s offer(s) being rejected as Non- Responsive.

d) If the vendor’s proposal contains any confidential information (as defined in Attachment B, Section 2, Paragraph #17), then the vendor must provide one (1) signed, original electronic offer and one (1) redacted electronic copy.

For Vendor training on how to use the Electronic Vendor Portal to view solicitations, submit questions, develop responses, upload documents, and submit offers to the State, Vendors should go to the following site: https://eprocurement.nc.gov/training/vendor-training

Questions or issues related to using the Electronic Vendor Portal itself can be directed to the North Carolina eProcurement Help Desk at 888-211-7440, Option 2. Help Desk representatives are available Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST.

2.4. BASIS FOR REJECTION

Pursuant to 9 NCAC 06B.0401, the State reserves the right to reject any and all offers, in whole or in part; by deeming the offer unsatisfactory as to quality or quantity, delivery, price or service offered;

non-compliance with the specifications or intent of this solicitation; lack of competitiveness; error(s) in specifications or indications that revision would be advantageous to the State; cancellation or other changes in the intended project, or other determination that the proposed requirement is no longer needed; limitation or lack of available funds; circumstances that prevent determination of the best offer; or any other determination that rejection would be in the best interest of the State. Vendors contact regarding this IFB with anyone other than Connie Kilgo may be grounds for rejection of said Vendor’s offer.

2.5. LATE OFFERS

Regardless of cause, late offers will not be accepted and will automatically be disqualified from further consideration. It shall be the Vendor’s sole risk to ensure delivery at the designated office by the designated time. Late offers will not be opened and may be returned to the Vendor at the expense of the Vendor or destroyed if requested.

2.6. NON-RESPONSIVE OFFERS

Vendor offers will be deemed non-responsive by the State and will be rejected without further consideration or evaluation if statements such as the following are included:

• “This offer does not constitute a binding offer”,

• “This offer will be valid only if this offer is selected as a finalist or in the competitive range”,

• “Vendor does not commit or bind itself to any terms and conditions by this submission”,

• “This document and all associated documents are non-binding and shall be used for discussion purposes only”,

• “This offer will not be binding on either party until incorporated in a definitive agreement signed by authorized representatives of both parties”, or

• A statement of similar intent.

2.7. NOTICE TO VENDOR(S)

The State objects to and will not be required to evaluate or consider any additional terms and conditions not previously agreed to by the State and submitted with an Offeror’s response.

This applies to any language appearing in or attached to the document as part of the Offeror’s response. By execution and delivery of this IFB and response(s), the Offeror agrees that any additional terms and conditions, whether submitted purposely or inadvertently, shall have no force or effect.

https://eprocurement.nc.gov/training/vendor-training

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2.8. E-PROCUREMENT SOLICITATION

This is an E-Procurement solicitation. See Paragraph #31 of the attached Department of Information Technology Terms and Conditions.

a) General information on the E-Procurement service can be found at http://eprocurement.nc.gov/

b) Within two days after notification of award of a contract, vendor must register in NC E-

Procurement @ Your Service at the following web site: https://vendor.ncgov.com/vendor/login

c) As of the IFB submittal date, the Vendor must be current on all E-Procurement fees. If the Vendor is not current on all E-Procurement fees, the State may disqualify the Vendor from participation in this IFB.

2.9. DISTRIBUTORS AND RESELLERS

“Resellers” as used herein, refers to businesses that routinely sell or distribute Vendor’s Products, and may include “Distributors”, “Value Added Resellers” (VARs), “Original Equipment Manufacturers” (OEMs), Channel Partners, or such other designations. These businesses must be approved by the State prior to placement of any orders. Any contract established will be subject to this solicitation and any resulting Agreement(s), and to the terms and conditions of the State’s competitive bidding process.

The Agency acknowledges that the Reseller has merely purchased the Third-Party Items for resale or license to the Agency, and that the proprietary and intellectual property rights to the Third-Party Items are owned by parties other than the Reseller (“Third Parties”). The Agency further acknowledges that except for the payment to the Reseller for the Third-Party Items, all of its rights and obligations with respect thereto flow from and to the Third Parties. The Reseller shall provide the Agency with copies of all documentation and warranties for the Third-Party Items which are provided to the Reseller. The Reseller shall assign all applicable third-party warranties for Deliverables to the Agency.

2.10. POSSESSION AND REVIEW

During the evaluation period and prior to award, possession of the bids and accompanying information is limited to personnel of the issuing agency, and to the committee responsible for participating in the evaluation. Vendors who attempt to gain this privileged information, or to influence the evaluation process (i.e. assist in evaluation) will be in violation of purchasing rules and their offer will not be further evaluated or considered.

After award of contract the complete bid file will be available to any interested persons with the exception of trade secrets, test information or similar proprietary information as provided by statute and rule. Any proprietary or confidential information which conforms to exclusions from public records as provided by N.C.G.S. §132-1.2 must be clearly marked as such in the offer when submitted.

2.11. BEST AND FINAL OFFERS (BAFO)

The State may establish a competitive range based upon evaluations of offers, and request BAFOs from the Vendor(s) within this range, e.g. “Finalist Vendor(s)”. If negotiations or subsequent offers are solicited, the Vendor(s) shall provide BAFO(s) in response. Failure to deliver a BAFO when requested shall disqualify the non-responsive Vendor from further consideration. The State will evaluate BAFO(s), oral presentations, and product demonstrations as part of the Vendors’ respective offers to determine the final rankings.

2.12. AWARD

It is the general intent to award this contract to one Vendor. As provided by statute, award will be based on Best Value Analysis, Lowest Price Technically Acceptable Source Selection Method in accordance with 09 NCAC 06B. 0302 Information Technology Procurement.

https://vendor.ncgov.com/vendor/login

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The State has implemented the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP) that allow the public to retrieve award notices and information on the Internet at https://evp.nc.gov. https://www.ips.state.nc.us/ips/ Results may be found by searching by Solicitation Number or agency name. This information may not be available for several weeks depending upon the complexity of the acquisition and the length of time to complete the evaluation process.

2.13. POINTS OF CONTACT

Contact by the Offeror with the persons shown below for contractual and technical matters related to this IFB is only permitted if expressly agreed to by the purchasing lead named on page 4, or upon award of contract:

Vendor Contractual Point of Contact Vendor Technical Point of Contact

Name of Vendor:

Address:

Attn: Assigned Contract Manager

Name of Vendor:

Address:

Attn: Assigned Technical Lead

3.0 SPECIFICATIONS

3.1. VENDOR STANDARD AGREEMENT(S)

The terms and conditions of Vendor’s standard license, maintenance or other agreement(s) applicable to Software and other Products acquired under this Agreement may apply to the extent such terms and conditions do not materially change the terms and conditions of this Agreement. In the event of any conflict between the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Vendor’s standard agreement(s), the terms and conditions of this Agreement relating to audit and records, jurisdiction, choice of law, the State’s electronic procurement application of law or administrative rules, the remedy for intellectual property infringement and the exclusive remedies and limitation of liability in the Terms and Conditions herein shall apply in all cases and supersede any provisions contained in Vendor’s relevant standard agreement or any other agreement. The State shall not be obligated under any standard license and/or maintenance or other Vendor agreement(s) to indemnify or hold harmless the Vendor, its licensors, successors or assigns; nor arbitrate any dispute, nor pay late fees, legal fees or other similar costs.

3.2. VENDOR UTILIZATION OF WORKERS OUTSIDE U.S.

In accordance with N.C.G.S. §143B-1361(b), Vendor must detail in the IFB response, the manner in which it intends to utilize resources or workers located outside the U.S. The State of North Carolina will evaluate the additional risks, costs, and other factors associated with such utilization prior to making an award for any such Vendor’s offer. The Vendor shall provide the following for any offer or actual utilization or contract performance:

a) The location of work performed under a state contract by the Vendor, any subcontractors, employees, or other persons performing the contract and whether any of this work will be performed outside the United States.

b) The corporate structure and location of corporate employees and activities of the Vendors, its affiliates or any other subcontractors.

c) Notice of the relocation of the Vendor, employees of the Vendor, subcontractors of the Vendor, or other persons performing Services under a state contract outside of the United States.

d) Any Vendor or subcontractor providing call or contact center Services to the State of North Carolina shall disclose to inbound callers the location from which the call or contact center Services are being provided.

https://evp.nc.gov/ https://www.ips.state.nc.us/ips/

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Will any work under this contract be performed outside the United States? YES NO

If Vendor answered “YES” above, list the location(s) outside the United States where work under this contract will be performed by Vendor, any sub-contractors, employees, or other persons performing work under the contract.

3.3. E-VERIFY

Pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 143B-1350(k), the State shall not enter into a contract unless the awarded Vendor and each of its subcontractors comply with the E-Verify requirements of N.C.G.S. Chapter 64, Article 2. Vendors are directed to review the foregoing laws. Any awarded Vendor must submit a certification of compliance with E-Verify to the awarding agency, and on a periodic basis thereafter as may be required by the State.

3.4 BRAND SPECIFIC PRODUCT

Manufacturer(s) name and product descriptions used in this solicitation are product specific. The items offered in response to this solicitation must be the manufacturer and type specified. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in rejection of offer.

3.5. SECURITY SPECIFICATIONS

3.5.1 SOLUTIONS HOSTED ON STATE INFRASTRUCTURE

Central Piedmont Community College utilizes and accesses information from a Vendor’s Higher Education Community Vendor Assessment Toolkit (HECVAT) to evaluate the vendor’s ability to securely manage data. The college requests a completed HECVAT with offer submission. The college reserves the right to require this prior to contract award. The AMAG-Symmetry Platinum Software Support Agreement will be required to receive and securely manage data that is classified as medium risk, Department Critical and Moderate Application Criticality]. Refer to the North Carolina Statewide Data Classification and Handling policy for more information regarding this data classification. The policy is located at the following website: https://it.nc.gov/document/statewide-data-classification-and-handling-policy To comply with the State’s Security Standards and Policies, State agencies are required to perform annual security/risk assessments on their information systems using NIST 800-53 controls.

3.6 ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE SPECIFICATIONS

3.6.1 ARCHITECTURE DIAGRAMS

The two diagrams are Network Architecture and Technology Stack. The State utilizes architectural diagrams to better understand the design and technologies of a proposed solution. Details on these diagrams can be found at the following link: https://it.nc.gov/resources/statewide-it-procurement/vendor-engagement-resources#Tab-Architecture-1192

The provision of these two diagrams is a requirement at offer submission. If they are not supplied at that time, the Vendor’s offer will be considered non-responsive and will not be evaluated.

There may be additional architectural diagrams requested of the vendor after contract award. This will be communicated to the vendor by the agency as needed during the project.

https://it.nc.gov/document/statewide-data-classification-and-handling-policy https://it.nc.gov/document/statewide-data-classification-and-handling-policy https://it.nc.gov/resources/statewide-it-procurement/vendor-engagement-resources#Tab-Architecture-1192 https://it.nc.gov/resources/statewide-it-procurement/vendor-engagement-resources#Tab-Architecture-1192

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3.6.2 SOLUTION ROADMAP (RESERVED)

A Solution Roadmap defines the vision and strategic elements of the solution. The Solution Roadmap is a plan of action for how a Solution will evolve over time. The minimum content should include:

• Vision for the solution

• High-level functionality expected for each solution release into production environment

• High-level timeline

• Description of how customer feedback is collected and incorporated into solution enhancements

Describe the solution roadmap for your product. Include content on release strategies for functionality, roadmap for technical architecture, how scalability of solution is planned.

3.6.3 IDENTITY AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT

The proposed solution must externalize identity and access management. The protocols describing the State’s Identity and Access Management can be found at the following link:

https://it.nc.gov/services/vendor-engagement-resources#Tab-IdentityAccessManagement-1241 Describe how your solution supports the above protocols, as well as making them available for application integration/consumption.

3.6.4 INTEGRATION APPROACH

Describe proposed solution capabilities to interoperate with other solutions. Identify the standards supported, integrations platforms, adaptors, APIs, and the like.

3.6.5 DISASTER RECOVERY AND BUSINESS CONTINUITY (RESERVED)

Describe the proposed solution capabilities related to the following areas:

Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) – describe how proposed solution supports Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) and Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) metrics.

System Backup – describe backup plan capabilities.

Disaster Recovery Testing – describe the frequency and test procedures for end-to-end disaster recovery testing. Business Continuity Plan (BCP) – describe capabilities proposed solution can provide in support of agency’s continuity of operations and incident responses.

3.6.6 DATA MIGRATION (RESERVED)

Describe approaches available for data conversion and/or data migration to load current data into proposed solution.

3.6.7 APPLICATION MANAGEMENT

Describe how the proposed solution monitors and reports the metrics on system performance.

Describe how the proposed solution manages user administration.

Describe the audit capabilities of proposed solution related to management of the application.

3.6.8 ACCESSIBILITY

Describe how the proposed solution complies with industry accessibility standards.

Provide product documentation that demonstrates how the proposed solution is digitally accessible or if not fully accessible, provide the roadmap with timeline for remediation.

Standards include:

• W3C Web Accessibility Initiative - Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1:

https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/ https://it.nc.gov/services/vendor-engagement-resources#Tab-IdentityAccessManagement-1241 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2FTR%2FWCAG21%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cstarr.christen%40nc.gov%7C3737b44528934d4e45f508dc3a2fddad%7C7a7681dcb9d0449a85c3ecc26cd7ed19%7C0%7C0%7C638449224463390497%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=e02p3b8aB5KB1xe2s6LB3ksZyRtoo09MCHTXDzO5E6Q%3D&reserved=0

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• Section 508: https://www.section508.gov/

• Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT®):

https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat

ENTERPRISE, SERVICES, AND STANDARDS

Agencies and vendors should refer to the Vendor Resources Page for information on North Carolina Department of Information Technology regarding architecture, security, strategy, data, digital, identity and access management and other general information on doing business with state IT process.

The Vendor Resources Page found at the following link: https://it.nc.gov/vendor-engagement-resources. This site provides vendors with statewide information and links referenced throughout the RFP document. Agencies may request additional information.

3.8. DELIVERY

Successful Vendor will complete supply of the scope of work within 60 consecutive calendar days after receipt of purchase order either electronically or to the following location(s):

If circumstances beyond the control of the contractor result in a late delivery [or installation], it is the responsibility and obligation of the contractor to notify the Purchasing Agent listed on the purchase order, in writing, immediately upon determining delay of shipment. The written notification should indicate the anticipated delivery date.

3.9. CONTRACT TERM

A contract awarded pursuant to this IFB shall have an effective date as provided in the Notice of Award. The term shall be one (1) year and will expire upon the anniversary date of the effective date unless otherwise stated in the Notice of Award, or unless terminated earlier. The State retains the option to extend this contract for two (2) additional one (1) year periods at its sole discretion.

4.0 FURNISH AND DELIVER

YEAR 1:

ITEM #

QTY

UNIT

DESCRIPTION

UNIT COST

EXTENDED COST

1 1 each AMAG- Symmetry-Platinum SSA Renewal 4/1/2025-3/31/2026

Total Offer Cost ________________

OPTIONAL COSTS: MAY OR MAY NOT BE PURCHASED

YEAR 2:

1 1 Each AMAG – Symmetry-Platinum SSA Renewal

4/1/2026-3/31/2027 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.section508.gov%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cstarr.christen%40nc.gov%7C3737b44528934d4e45f508dc3a2fddad%7C7a7681dcb9d0449a85c3ecc26cd7ed19%7C0%7C0%7C638449224463398992%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=pzgUTV7chyDcngdl6SvQJ3tAIz7RLJvSY02jf8A4SRg%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.itic.org%2Fpolicy%2Faccessibility%2Fvpat&data=05%7C02%7Cstarr.christen%40nc.gov%7C3737b44528934d4e45f508dc3a2fddad%7C7a7681dcb9d0449a85c3ecc26cd7ed19%7C0%7C0%7C638449224463405831%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=5PxuYxDYvzebQ0oJ4qLv%2BXmBS25YhqJa3ms9L3r8c8c%3D&reserved=0 https://it.nc.gov/vendor-engagement-resources https://it.nc.gov/vendor-engagement-resources

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Total Offer Cost ________________

YEAR 3:

1 1 Each AMAG -Symmetry-Platinum SSA Renewal

4/1/2027-3/31/2028

Total Offer Cost _________________

Grant Total Offer Cost Years 1-3:_________________

5.0 HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESSES

“Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs) consist of minority, women and disabled business firms that are at least fifty-one percent owned and operated by an individual(s) of the aforementioned categories. Also included in this category are disabled business enterprises and non-profit work centers for the blind and severely disabled.” http://ncadmin.nc.gov/businesses/hub

Pursuant to N.C.G.S. §§143B-1361(a), 143-48 and 143-128.4, the State invites and encourages participation in this procurement process by businesses owned by minorities, women, disabled, disabled business enterprises and non-profit work centers for the blind and severely disabled. This includes utilizing subcontractors to perform the required functions in this IFB.

Is Vendor a Historically Underutilized Business? YES NO If “YES”, specify classification. ___________________________

6.0 DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

1) READ, REVIEW AND COMPLY: It shall be the Vendor’s responsibility to read this entire document, review all enclosures and attachments, and comply with all requirements specified herein.

2) DEFINITIONS:

• NCDIT: The North Carolina Department of Information Technology, formerly Office of Information

Technology Services

• NCDIT CONVENIENCE CONTRACT: A contract that is used for the procurement of IT goods or

Services. These contracts are in place for the convenience of the state and use of them is optional.

• OPEN MARKET CONTRACT: A contract for the purchase of goods or Services not covered by a term, technical, or convenience contract.

• TERM CONTRACT: A contract in which a source of supply is established for a specified period of time for specified Services or supplies; usually characterized by an estimated or definite minimum quantity, with the possibility of additional requirements beyond the minimum, all at a predetermined unit price

• THE STATE: Is the state of North Carolina and its agencies.

• VENDOR: Company, firm, corporation, partnership, individual, etc., submitting a response to a solicitation.

3) PROMPT PAYMENT DISCOUNTS: Vendors are urged to compute all discounts into the price offered. If a prompt payment discount is offered, it will not be considered in the award of the contract except as a factor to aid in resolving cases of identical prices.

4) CLARIFICATIONS/INTERPRETATIONS: Any and all questions regarding this document must be addressed to the purchaser named on the cover sheet of this document. Do not contact the user http://ncadmin.nc.gov/businesses/hub

Page 11 of 23 May 13, 2024 directly. Any and all revisions to this document shall be made only by written addendum from NCDIT.

The Vendor is cautioned that the requirements of this IFB can be altered only by written addendum and that verbal communications from whatever source are of no effect.

5) ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION: The State reserves the right to reject any and all offers, to waive any informality in offers and, unless otherwise specified by the Vendor, to accept any item in the offer.

If either a unit price or an extended price is obviously in error and the other is obviously correct, the incorrect price will be disregarded.

6) AWARD OF CONTRACT: Responsive offers will be evaluated and acceptance may be made in accordance with Best Value procurement practices as defined by N.C.G.S. §143-135.9. Unless otherwise specified by the State or the Vendor, the State reserves the right to accept any item or group of items on a multi-item offer. In addition, on agency specific or term contracts, NCDIT reserves the right to make partial, progressive or multiple awards: where it is advantageous to award separately by items; or where more than one supplier is needed to provide the contemplated requirements as to quantity, quality, delivery, service, geographical areas; other factors deemed by NCDIT to be pertinent or peculiar to the purchase in question.

7) MISCELLANEOUS: Masculine pronouns shall be read to include feminine pronouns and the singular of any word or phrase shall be read to include the plural and vice versa.

8) PROTEST PROCEDURES: When an offeror wants to protest a contract awarded pursuant to this solicitation that is over $25,000 they must submit a written request to the issuing agency at the address given in this document. This request must be received in this office within fifteen (15) calendar days from the date of the contract award, and must contain specific sound reasons and any supporting documentation for the protest. Note: Contract award notices are sent only to those actually awarded contracts, and not to every person or firm responding to this solicitation. IFB status and Award notices are posted on the Internet at https://evp.nc.gov. All protests will be governed by NCAC Title 9, Department of Information Technology (formerly Office of Information Technology Services), Subchapter 06B Sections .1101 - .1121

9) VENDOR REGISTRATION AND SOLICITATION NOTIFICATION SYSTEM The electronic Vendor Portal (eVP) allows Vendors to electronically register with the State to receive electronic notification of current procurement opportunities for goods and services available on the eVP at the following web site: https://evp.nc.gov.

10) DIGITAL IMAGING: The State will digitize the Vendor’s response if not received electronically, and any awarded contract together with associated contract documents. This electronic copy shall be a preservation record, and serve as the official record of this solicitation with the same force and effect as the original written documents comprising such record. Any printout or other output readable by sight shown to reflect such record accurately is an "original."

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7.0 DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1) DEFINITIONS: Supplementing the Definitions appearing in the body of this solicitation, above:

a) “Agency” means the Agency purchasing the goods or Services.

b) “Computer” means a data processing device capable of accepting data, performing prescribed operations on the data, and supplying the results of these operations; for example, a device that operates on discrete data by performing arithmetic and logic processes on the data, or a device that operates on analog data by performing physical processes on the Data.

c) “Computer Data Base” means a collection of data in a form capable of being processed and operated on a Computer.

d) “Computer Program” means a series of instructions or statements in a form acceptable to a Computer, processor or controller that is designed to cause the Computer, processor or controller to execute an operation or operations. Computer programs include operating systems, assemblers, compilers, interpreters, data management systems, utility programs, sort-merge programs and maintenance/diagnostics programs, as well as applications programs such as payroll, inventory control and engineering analysis programs. Computer Programs may be either machine dependent or machine-independent, and may be general purpose in nature or be designed to satisfy the requirements of a particular user.

e) “Computer Software” or “Software” means Computer Programs and Data Bases. Also, see, “Software” below.

f) “Computer Software Documentation” means technical data and information comprising Computer listings and printouts, in human readable form that:

i) Documents the design or details the Computer Software

ii) Explains the capabilities of the Software, or

iii) Provides operating instructions for using the Software to obtain desired results from a

Computer.

g) “Custom or Modified Software” means Software that may be modified by the State, or by Vendor at the State’s request or direction to perform in accordance with specifications.

h) “Data” means recorded information, regardless of form or method of recording.

i) “Deliverable”/”Product Warranties” shall mean and include the warranties provided for products or deliverables licensed to the State in Paragraph 2, and as included in Paragraph 7 c), of these Terms and Conditions unless superseded by a Vendor’s Warranties pursuant to Vendor’s License or Support Agreements.

j) “Hardware” includes Computers, printers, attached equipment or peripherals or other equipment utilized for the State’s intended purposes as expressed in the solicitation documents.

k) “Products” includes Software, Hardware, equipment, options, documentation, accessories, supplies, spare parts.

l) “Services” means the obligations and duties undertaken by the Vendor to comply with the specifications and requirements in this solicitation.

m) “Software” is “Packaged Copyrighted Software Products” (unless otherwise identified) as used in 09 NCAC 06A.0102(13) and means Computer Software that is used regularly for other than governmental purposes and is sold, licensed, or leased in significant quantities to the general public at established market or catalog prices, that is considered “shrink-wrap” or “clickwrap”, that is or may be generally licensed by “shrink-wrap” or “clickwrap” licenses, or Computer Software that does not constitute Custom or Modified Software and is regularly sold, licensed or leased by the Vendor to governmental entities to meet governmental requirements.

n) “State” shall mean the State of North Carolina, NCDIT as an Agency, or an Agency in its capacity as the Award Authority.

o) “Support” includes Hardware maintenance and repair (outside any required by any applicable warranty), Software updates maintenance and support Services, consulting, training and other agreed support Services provided by or through Vendor.

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p) “Use”, in the context of Computer Software execution and operation in Section 2 and 3 hereinbelow, means storing, loading, installing, executing or displaying Software on a Computer, processor or controller, or making a copy of Software for archival or backup purposes only.

2) SOFTWARE LICENSE

a) Vendor grants the State a personal non-transferable and non-exclusive right to use, in object code form only, all Software and related documentation furnished to the Agency under this Agreement.

This license grant shall be limited to use with the Hardware (if any) or Products (if any) for which the Software was obtained, or on a temporary basis, on back-up equipment when the original Hardware or Product is inoperable. Use of Software on multiple processors is prohibited unless otherwise agreed in writing. If the License Grant and License Fees are based upon the number of Users, the number of Users may be increased at any time, subject to the restrictions on the maximum number of Users specified in the Vendor’s standard agreement.

b) Software provided pursuant to this Solicitation may, in some circumstances, be accompanied by a clickwrap agreement. The term clickwrap agreement refers to an agreement that requires the end user to manifest his or her assent to terms and conditions by clicking an “ok” or “agree” button on a dialog box or pop-up window as part of the installation process for the Software. The sole purpose of any clickwrap agreement shall be to operate as the mechanism for the installation of the Software. All terms and conditions of any clickwrap agreement provided with any Software solicited herein shall have no force and effect and shall be non-binding on the State, its employees, agents, and other authorized users of the Software.

c) The State agrees to use its best efforts to see that its employees and users of all Software licensed hereunder comply with the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, and any Exhibits or Amendments hereto. The State also agrees to refrain from taking any steps, such as reverse engineering, reverse assembly or reverse compilation to derive a source code equivalent to the Software; or portion thereof.

d) The State shall have the right to copy the Software, in whole or in part, for use in conducting benchmark or acceptance tests, for business recovery and disaster recovery testing or operations, and consistent with the security, records retainage or other policy of the Agency for archival or emergency purposes, or to replace a worn copy; but not for use in preparing derivative works unless expressly allowed by the Agreement or subsequent Statements of Work. Any copy of the Software or documentation must contain the same copyright notice and proprietary markings that are on the original Software.

e) Use of Software on any Products other than that for which it was obtained, removal of Software from the United States or any other material breach shall automatically terminate this license.

f) The State’s license includes the right to upgrades, updates, maintenance releases or other enhancements or modifications made generally available to Vendor’s licensees without a separate maintenance or support agreement. Vendor’s right to a new license for new version releases of the Software shall not be abridged by the foregoing.

g) Software bundled with any other Product may be used only with the Product and with the configuration in which the Product is sold by Vendor or subsequently upgraded by Vendor.

h) The State’s license neither transfers, vests nor infers any title or other ownership right in any intellectual property right of Vendor, or any third party. The State’s license neither transfers, vests nor infers any title or other ownership right in any source code associated with the Software unless otherwise agreed by the parties, and will not be construed as a sale of any ownership rights in the Software, unless Custom or Modified Software is being developed as a Work For Hire in response to the State’s solicitation documents.

i) The State may use the Software with the Computer for which or with which it was acquired, including use at any government installation to which the Computer may be transferred by the State. The State may use the Software with the backup Computer if the Computer for which or with which it was acquired is inoperative.

3) USE OF SOFTWARE AND INFORMATION

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a) The State agrees that any Software or technical and business information owned by Vendor (“Information”) or its suppliers or licensors and furnished to the State under this Agreement shall be and remain the property of the Vendor, or other party, respectively.

b) All Software and information furnished to the State under this Agreement

i) Shall be used by the State only to install, operate or maintain the Product for which they were originally furnished;

ii) Shall not be reproduced or copied, in whole or in part, except as necessary for use as authorized under this agreement; and

iii) Shall, together with any copies except copies for the Agency’s and State’s archival purposes containing the State’s business records, be returned or destroyed when no longer needed or permitted for use with the Product for which they were initially furnished; and

c) All Software and information designated as “confidential” or “proprietary” shall be kept in confidence except as may be required by the North Carolina Public Records Act: N.C.G.S. §132- 1, et seq.

d) Transfer of Software or program license:

i) Software may be transferred within the United States to any location for the State’s normal operations upon written notice to the Vendor without additional cost(s). Transfers for temporary uses arising as a result of a disaster or disaster recovery test may be effected without notice to the Vendor; provided, however, that the State will employ its best efforts to advise the Vendor of any disaster related transfer requiring more than ten (10) business days.

All other transfers may be permitted only with Vendor’s prior written consent, and such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. Transfers requiring Vendor’s consent may be subject to an additional license fee.

ii) The rights granted herein are restricted for use solely by the State. The State may not authorize or allow the use or marketing of the Software/Products by or to a third party, and may not assign or transfer the Software or Products to a third party without the prior written consent of Vendor. Any assignee or transferee must execute a separate agreement with Vendor. Any such assignment or transfer shall terminate the obligations of the State under this Agreement

e) Custom or Modified Software, if solicited by the State, is being developed or modified exclusively for the State, and such Custom or Modified Software, all related data, all copyrights in the Custom or Modified Software and derivative works belong exclusively to the State and shall be transferred to the State upon creation.

4) WARRANTY

a) Minimum warranties for Products shall include:

i) On the delivery date the Products and the associated Computer operating system Software will be in good working order (operating in conformance with Vendor’s standard specifications and functions). Unless otherwise specified in the solicitation, the warranty for other suppliers’ Software is included in the suppliers’ Software package and is provided directly from the supplier.

ii) The warranty shall be as provided or specified in the state’s solicitation documents and shall begin on the day of successful installation. If no warranty period is specified, the warranty period shall be Vendor’s standard warranty period for the Products, commencing the day of successful installation.

iii) The state shall notify Vendor if any Product is not in good working order during the warranty period. Vendor shall, at its option, either repair or replace any Product reported as not in good working order during the warranty period without charge to the State. The repair or replacement Products must be new or equivalent to new in performance and fully warranted the same as new. All returned Products will become property of Vendor at the time the Product is either placed in shipment to Vendor, or picked up by Vendor.

iv) The service provided during the warranty period is dependent upon the acceptable warranty option selected by the State and indicated in the State’s solicitation document. If no warranty

Page 15 of 23 May 13, 2024 option is indicated, Vendor will provide their standard warranty service for the Product, unless otherwise agreed by the parties.

v) If the State requires warranty service other than under this Agreement, it shall be agreed to in writing by the parties at rates and terms set forth in such writing.

b) Software warranties shall include the following:

i) Vendor warrants the media (comprising diskettes, tapes or other media) to be free of defects in materials or workmanship under normal use for ninety (90) days from the date of acceptance unless otherwise agreed. Vendor shall replace any media reported as not in good working order during the warranty period without charge to the State. If Vendor is unable to replace the Software, Vendor shall refund the full amount of the Software purchase paid by the State.

ii) In addition to the warranty exclusions stated in Paragraph 5, Vendor does not warrant that the operation of the Software will be uninterrupted or error free, or that the Software functions will meet the State’s requirements unless developed as Customized or Modified Software. The State assumes the risk of any damage or loss from its misuse or inability to use the Software.

iii) For any Customized or Modified Software provided pursuant to this Agreement, Vendor warrants that for a period of one (1) year after the State accepts said Software, it will operate and perform in accordance with the functions and specifications set forth in the solicitation and error free as the solution for the Agency. This express warranty applies only if the State specifically identifies the Hardware environment in which the Customized or Modified Software will be installed or operated, or if it is used in connection with Hardware acquired under this Agreement.

c) Unless otherwise required by the State: Vendor warrants that its support and customer service and assistance will be performed in accordance with generally accepted industry standards. This warranty shall be valid for ninety (90) days from the date support is provided or performance of the service. For a period of ninety (90) days after delivery or ninety (90) days after successful installation, Vendor or its suppliers shall provide telephone assistance to the State during the State’s normal business hours.

d) Vendor warrants to the best of its knowledge that:

i) The licensed Software and associated materials do not infringe any intellectual property rights of any third party;

ii) There are no actual or threatened actions arising from, or alleged under, any intellectual property rights of any third party;

iii) The licensed Software and associated materials do not contain any surreptitious programming codes, viruses, Trojan Horses, “back doors” or other means to facilitate or allow unauthorized access to the State’s information systems.

iv) The Software does not contain any timer, counter, lock or similar device (other than security features specifically approved by Customer in the Specifications) that inhibits or in any way limits the State’s ability to use the Software for the term of this Agreement.

5) WARRANTY EXCLUSIONS

a) Except as stated in Paragraph 4 (Warranty), Vendor and its parent, subsidiaries and affiliates, subcontractors and suppliers make no warranties, express or implied, and specifically disclaim warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose as provided by N.C.G.S. §§25-2- 316, 25-2-313 and 25-2-315; and as may be amended.

b) The warranty provided in Paragraph 4) (Warranty) does not cover repair for damages, malfunctions or service failures caused by:

i) Actions of non-Vendor personnel;

ii) Failure to follow Vendor’s installation, operation or maintenance instructions and/or Services provided to the State;

iii) Attachment to the Products of non-Vendor products or failure of Products not maintained by

Vendor unless such installation or use is approved in writing by the Vendor; or

iv) Force Majeure conditions set forth hereinbelow.

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6) INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY INDEMNITY

a) The Vendor, at its own expense, shall defend any action brought against the State to the extent that such action is based upon a claim that the Software or Products supplied by the Vendor, their use or operation infringes on a patent, copyright, trademark or violates a trade secret in the United States. The Vendor shall pay those costs and damages finally awarded or agreed in settlement against the State in any such action; damages shall be limited as provided in N.C.G.S. 143B- 1350(h1). Such defense and payment shall be conditioned on the following:

i) That the Vendor shall be notified within a reasonable time in writing by the State of any such claim; and,

ii) That the Vendor shall have the sole control of the defense of any action on such claim and all negotiations for its settlement or compromise provided, however, that the State shall have the option to participate in such action at its own expense.

b) If any modifications to the Software applied by Vendor become the subject of a claim of infringement of a patent, copyright, Trademark or a trade secret in the United States, the Vendor, shall at its option and expense, either procure for the State the right to continue using the Software, or to replace or modify the same to become noninfringing. If neither of these options can reasonably be taken in Vendor's judgment, or if further use shall be prevented by injunction, the Vendor agrees to take back any affected Software modifications, and refund any sums the State has paid Vendor for Services and the State shall then have the option of terminating the Agreement, or applicable portions thereof, without penalty…