ITN 2024-86 Addendum #1 QA FINAL.pdf

ITN 2024-86 ADDENDUM NO. 1 Page 1 of 4

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

BUREAU OF CONTRACTS, GRANTS AND PROCUREMENT

MANAGEMENT SERVICES

325 West Gaines Street 344 Turlington Building

Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400

Addendum #1

BID NO.: ITN 2024-86

TEACHERS CLASSROOM SUPPLY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

DATE: March 27, 2024

This addendum is being issued to provide the Answers to Questions submitted timely by vendors during the Question and Answers period.

Please be advised all questions are keyed as submitted.

1. Will the system selected through this ITN be used for all eligible teachers statewide?

A. If no, will it be an opt-in by each individual district and charter school?

Answer: Per FL statute 1012.71, educators “may” purchase materials, therefore we cannot say for certain that all eligible teachers will definitely use this system.

2. The ITN references an "Exhibit II for educator counts by district." Can you please provide Exhibit II?

Answer: Yes. Exhibit II, Educator Count by District for FY2022-23 is attached to serve as a reference.

3. Is the Contract Value defined as the amount that the state owes the vendor to perform the services within the contract, or is it some other value?

Answer: The contract value is the aggregate of funds allotted to each eligible teacher’s account on the marketplace and spent purchasing items from the marketplace.

4. Under "Marketplace Functionality," the ITN references "reputable vendors." How will the vendors be identified?

Answer: Respondents to this ITN are encouraged to propose suggestions and solutions for how vendors could be identified, taking into account factors such as vendor history, customer reviews, industry reputation, product quality, and compliance with standards and regulations.

5. Does the Department have predisposed requirement(s) of when, and in what manner(s) established customer support are to be offered, including ability to scale, management and proactively managed metrics?

Answer: The Department does not have predisposed requirements regarding the specific hours or manner in which established customer support should be offered. However, it is preferred that customer support be available slightly before and after school hours to

ITN 2024-86 ADDENDUM NO. 1 Page 2 of 4 accommodate teacher needs without student interruptions. We encourage flexibility in scaling, management, and proactive metric management to ensure effective support delivery.

A. Does the Department prefer bi-lingual English and Spanish customer support?

Answer: Yes. Bi-lingual customer support is preferred.

6. Does the system need to allow for an approval workflow upon transaction request?

Answer: The decision regarding the need for an approval workflow upon transaction request is at the discretion of each individual district/school. In many instances, administrators may not be available to approve orders, so it would be up to each district/school to determine if such a workflow is necessary for their specific circumstances and operational requirements.

A. If yes, will districts/charters be required to use that workflow or will each district/charter make their own decision on using that functionality?

Answer: See the response above.

7. In the Marketplace Functionality section. What does the state mean by "invoicing mechanisms"?

Answer: In the Marketplace Functionality section, “invoicing mechanisms” refers to the process of handling payments between vendors supplying school supplies within the platform and individual purchasers, if applicable. Respondents may offer alternative solutions that do not involve invoicing. The Department is open to suggestions for payment processing methods beyond traditional invoicing.

8. Regarding the State's requirement: "the specific list of pre-approved vendors and eligible items for each school district may be provided to the Contractor by the school district":

A. Will the Department and/or individual districts be making the vendor and approved expenditure selections?

Answer: Currently, the process for vendor and expenditure selections is undetermined.

However, the Department welcomes suggestions from Respondents on how to address this challenge. Recognizing each district/school's unique needs, we aim to provide flexibility. The awarded vendor will be able to select businesses to sell school supplies on the platform. Additionally, we are open to the option of allowing districts/schools to nominate businesses for inclusion. This approach acknowledges each entities unique educational needs and budgets.

B. Will the Department bear the ultimate jurisdiction of selecting the master list of vendors and/or retailers available through the program?

Answer: See response to question #8A.

C. What would be the desired approval workflow and/or exchange process be with the State and/or District?

Answer: See response to question #6.

9. What is the Department's stance regarding adherence to industry-leading NIST Standards?

Answer: The Department encourages bidders to incorporate adherence to industry-leading NIST Standards into their proposals to ensure alignment with industry best practices and regulatory requirements unless specific standards are mentioned in the proposal in question.

ITN 2024-86 ADDENDUM NO. 1 Page 3 of 4

10. What is the Department's stance on alignment to AICPA SOC certification?

Answer: The Department acknowledges the importance of aligning with AICPA SOC certification for maintaining the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of financial data, especially from an auditing perspective. therefore, the bidder is encouraged to address this consideration in their proposal.

11. Does the Department have any specific security considerations that would not be addressed by SOC/NIST for this program?

Answer: See response to questions #9.

12. If additional, non-TSCAP funds are being added to the platform, what's the Department's take on the process/restrictions/etc?

Answer: The Department does not foresee non-TCSAP funds “added” to the platform, but the platform should consider functionality for eligible teachers to use supplemental payment method for purchase. For instance, teachers may choose to use their own personal credit card to cover the balance when the remaining TCSAP balance is not sufficient for a purchase.

13. Will the State value a dedicated project team guided by a project management plan (aligned to Project Management Institute principles) in support of the "Evidence of Completion" needs, plus further manage and communicate overall program performance?

Answer: The Respondent can include this consideration in their Reply.

14. In lieu of hard copies, will the Department accept electronic responses via email or portal?

Answer: No. Refer to section 7.2 of the solicitation.

15. "Bindings and covers will be at the Respondent's discretion; however, elaborate notebooks/hard back binders are discouraged." What is the Department's preferred method to bind the response?

Answer: The Department does not have a preferred method for binding (staples, binder clips…are all acceptable).

16. Does the Department have the scoring rubric associated with each evaluation criteria available?

Answer: Refer to section 8.1.2 Criteria for Evaluation in the solicitation.

ITN 2024-86 ADDENDUM NO. 1 Page 4 of 4

Potential proposers have 72 hours from posting of addenda to protest the requirements of each addendum. Failure to file a protest within the time prescribed in Section 120.57(3), Florida Statutes, or failure to post the bond or other security required by law within the time allowed for filing a bond shall constitute a waiver of proceedings under Chapter 120, Florida Statutes.

YOUR REPLY WILL NOT BE COMPLETE WITHOUT THIS PAGE SIGNED

AND INCLUDED!

Vendor Name – written:

Authorized Signature:

Authorized Signature - written:

Mailing Address:

City, State & Zip Code:

Telephone: Fax: E-Mail Address:

2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2 Year 2023-24 Estimated Teachers Teachers Teachers Average Teachers

Counselors, and Counselors, and Percent Counselors, and Percent Percent Counselors, and Library Media Library Media Change Library Media* Change Change Library Media

District -2- -4- -5- -6- -7- -8- -9- 1 Alachua 1,655 1,919 15.95% 1,856 -3.28% 6.34% 1,974 2 Baker 320 319 -0.31% 311 -2.51% -1.41% 307 3 Bay 1,732 1,788 3.23% 1,899 6.21% 4.72% 1,989 4 Bradford 215 206 -4.19% 195 -5.34% -4.77% 186 5 Brevard 4,836 4,833 -0.06% 4,860 0.56% 0.25% 4,872 6 Broward 16,290 15,874 -2.55% 14,899 -6.14% -4.35% 14,251 7 Calhoun 141 144 2.13% 152 5.56% 3.85% 158 8 Charlotte 1,030 1,043 1.26% 1,077 3.26% 2.26% 1,101 9 Citrus 1,033 1,056 2.23% 1,125 6.53% 4.38% 1,174

10 Clay 2,845 2,843 -0.07% 2,867 0.84% 0.39% 2,878 11 Collier 3,175 3,469 9.26% 3,421 -1.38% 3.94% 3,556 12 Columbia 657 638 -2.89% 624 -2.19% -2.54% 608 13 Dade 18,746 19,575 4.42% 19,093 -2.46% 0.98% 19,280 14 DeSoto 280 278 -0.71% 268 -3.60% -2.16% 262 15 Dixie 126 129 2.38% 132 2.33% 2.36% 135 16 Duval 7,458 8,089 8.46% 8,288 2.46% 5.46% 8,741 17 Escambia 2,869 3,032 5.68% 2,598 -14.31% -4.32% 2,486 18 Flagler 695 761 9.50% 817 7.36% 8.43% 886 19 Franklin 88 86 -2.27% 95 10.47% 4.10% 99 20 Gadsden 377 331 -12.20% 327 -1.21% -6.71% 305 21 Gilchrist 166 171 3.01% 163 -4.68% -0.84% 162 22 Glades 152 138 -9.21% 116 -15.94% -12.58% 101 23 Gulf 133 131 -1.50% 147 12.21% 5.36% 155 24 Hamilton 100 94 -6.00% 98 4.26% -0.87% 97 25 Hardee 332 333 0.30% 324 -2.70% -1.20% 320 26 Hendry 476 446 -6.30% 467 4.71% -0.80% 463 27 Hernando 1,687 1,590 -5.75% 1,480 -6.92% -6.34% 1,386 28 Highlands 718 750 4.46% 731 -2.53% 0.97% 738 29 Hillsborough 15,142 14,505 -4.21% 13,997 -3.50% -3.86% 13,457 30 Holmes 218 232 6.42% 228 -1.72% 2.35% 233 31 Indian River 1,152 1,203 4.43% 1,183 -1.66% 1.39% 1,199 32 Jackson 526 476 -9.51% 494 3.78% -2.87% 480 33 Jefferson 50 51 2.00% 52 1.96% 1.98% 53 34 Lafayette 74 78 5.41% 81 3.85% 4.63% 85 35 Lake 2,938 2,992 1.84% 3,103 3.71% 2.78% 3,189 36 Lee 5,746 5,700 -0.80% 5,637 -1.11% -0.96% 5,583 37 Leon 2,110 2,113 0.14% 2,147 1.61% 0.88% 2,166 38 Levy 317 307 -3.15% 316 2.93% -0.11% 316 39 Liberty 104 103 -0.96% 112 8.74% 3.89% 116 40 Madison 161 149 -7.45% 147 -1.34% -4.40% 141 41 Manatee 3,445 3,513 1.97% 3,575 1.76% 1.87% 3,642 42 Marion 2,728 2,670 -2.13% 2,733 2.36% 0.12% 2,736 43 Martin 1,270 1,256 -1.10% 1,228 -2.23% -1.67% 1,207 44 Monroe 699 701 0.29% 669 -4.56% -2.14% 655 45 Nassau 815 808 -0.86% 837 3.59% 1.37% 848 46 Okaloosa 1,896 1,906 0.53% 1,928 1.15% 0.84% 1,944 47 Okeechobee 405 393 -2.96% 389 -1.02% -1.99% 381 48 Orange 13,329 13,016 -2.35% 13,529 3.94% 0.80% 13,637 49 Osceola 4,312 4,023 -6.70% 4,605 14.47% 3.89% 4,784 50 Palm Beach 13,203 12,939 -2.00% 12,637 -2.33% -2.17% 12,363 51 Pasco 5,574 5,536 -0.68% 5,493 -0.78% -0.73% 5,453 52 Pinellas 6,963 6,889 -1.06% 6,704 -2.69% -1.88% 6,578 53 Polk 7,398 7,340 -0.78% 7,461 1.65% 0.44% 7,494 54 Putnam 644 624 -3.11% 595 -4.65% -3.88% 572 55 St. Johns 2,748 2,882 4.88% 3,197 10.93% 7.91% 3,450 56 St. Lucie 2,484 2,519 1.41% 2,629 4.37% 2.89% 2,705 57 Santa Rosa 2,243 2,039 -9.09% 2,138 4.86% -2.12% 2,093 58 Sarasota 3,064 3,119 1.80% 3,287 5.39% 3.60% 3,405 59 Seminole 4,445 4,335 -2.47% 4,289 -1.06% -1.77% 4,213 60 Sumter 615 618 0.49% 669 8.25% 4.37% 698 61 Suwannee 368 364 -1.09% 380 4.40% 1.66% 386 62 Taylor 177 175 -1.13% 181 3.43% 1.15% 183 63 Union 173 165 -4.62% 163 -1.21% -2.92% 158 64 Volusia 4,406 4,419 0.30% 4,408 -0.25% 0.03% 4,409 65 Wakulla 326 333 2.15% 329 -1.20% 0.48% 331 66 Walton 727 744 2.34% 858 15.32% 8.83% 934 67 Washington* 251 250 -0.40% 247 -1.20% -0.80% 245 69 FAMU Lab School 15 36 140.00% 26 -27.78% 56.11% 41

70-71 FAU Lab Schools 171 158 -7.60% 153 -3.16% -5.38% 145 72-73, 76 FSU Lab Schools* 156 161 3.21% 159 -1.24% 0.99% 161

74 UF Lab School 75 82 9.33% 85 3.66% 6.50% 91 75 Virtual School 2,369 2,593 9.46% 2,554 -1.50% 3.98% 2,656

Total 184,364 184,581 184,062 184,286

*Highlighted districts did not report staff data in 2022-23. A 2 year average of prior year figures were used in these cases.

EXHIBIT II

Florida Department of Education

Teacher Counts From "Staff in Florida Public Schools" Report Represents Classroom Teachers, School Counselors, and Library/Media Specialists