OCA-DG~1.PDF

STATE OF NEW YORK

JUDICIARY

REQUEST FOR BID

(This is not an order)

BID MUST BE MADE ON THIS SHEET

OR AS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED

NYS OFFICE OF COURT ADMINISTRATION

2500 Pond View, Suite 104 Castleton-on-Hudson, NY 12033

Direct Inquiries to: Alina Zielinski E-mail: AZielins@nycourts.gov

Price to include delivery to (describe exact location and method of delivery) All prices to be net and inclusive of all services specified herein unless otherwise specified.

Bid Number: RFP# OCA-DGCP-076 Commodity Group: OCA Human Resources, Exam Development Unit Commodity Name: Comprehensive Item Banking Software Solution, Human Resources Issue Date: Monday, 6/15/2026 Due Date: Friday, 7/31/2026 Time: 2:00pm Eastern

OFFICE OF GENERAL SERVICES AGENERAL SPECIFICATIONS (APRIL 2016) ARE FULLY INCORPORATED HEREIN.

Agency’s Specification of item(s) Required (include quantities)

UCS ATTACHMENT I, III, and IV ATTACHED & INCORPORATED HEREIN.

Bidder’s Quotation and Specific Description of Item Offered

ALL BID RESPONSES MUST BE ENTERED ON THE ENCLOSED BID RESPONSE FORM UNLESS SPECIFIED

OTHERWISE HEREIN.

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Pursuant to the Rules and Regulations of the Chief Administrator for the 3. Sign the bid. The bid must be completed in the name of the bidder Courts, sealed bids for furnishing the item(s) in this Request for Bid will (corporate or other) and must be fully and properly executed by an be received at the above address. When submitting a bid, you must: authorized person.

1. Complete this form in its entirety using ink or typewriter and return 4. INDICATE THE BID NUMBER, THE BID OPENING DATE AND with all other documents. TIME ON THE ENVELOPE CONTAINING THE SEALED BID.

2. Explain any deviations or qualifications if your bid deviates from the 5. Mail the bid to the above agency address in sufficient time for it to be specifications. If necessary, attach a separate sheet setting forth such received before the specified bid opening. LATE BIDS MAY BE explanations. REJECTED.

BIDDER HEREBY CERTIFIES THAT THE ABOVE QUOTED (OR OTHERWISE NOTED) PRICES ARE APPLICABLE TO ALL CUSTOMERS FOR

COMPARABLE QUANTITIES, QUALITY, STYLES OR SERVICES.

BIDS MUST BE SIGNED

Bidder's Firm Name: Employer's Federal Identification Number:

NYS Vendor ID Number:

Address Street City State Zip

Bidder's Signature Official Title

Printed or Typed Copy of Signature Area Code/Telephone Number Email

UCS RFB.001.Cover.(Rev.4.22) https://RFB.001.Cover.(Rev.4.22 mailto:AZielins@nycourts.gov

OCA-DGCP-076 Comprehensive Item Banking Software Solution

Issue Date: Monday, June 15, 2026 Due Date: Friday, July 31, 2026 at 2:00PM Eastern

CONTENTS

DOCUMENT ENCLOSURE CHECKLIST

BID CONTENTS

Article Subject

I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

II. PROJECT INFORMATION

III. AWARD

IV. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

V. PRICING

VI. REQUIRED RESPONSE DOCUMENTS

VII. BID SUBMISSION PROCEDURES

VIII. QUESTIONS

IX. PRE-BID CONFERENCE

X. GENERAL BID REQUIREMENTS

XI. CONTRACT TERMS AND REQUIREMENTS

Attachments* Attachment I: Standard Request for Bid Clauses & Forms

Attachment III: Vendor Responsibility Questionnaire

Attachment IV: Procurement Lobbying forms

* Attachments are available for download from the Unified Court System’s Current Solicitation webpage: https://www.nycourts.gov/grants-contracts-procurement/current-solicitations

Exhibits

Exhibit A: Pricing Sheet

Exhibit B: Scope of Work

Exhibit C: Additional Information Security Terms and Conditions

Exhibit D: Data Security Questionnaire and Attestation for All Bidders

Exhibit E: Security Risk Assessment and Review for Third-Party Vendors – Questionnaire Template

(to be completed only by the tentative Awarded Bidder)

Exhibit F: Bidder Certification to Meeting Minimum Qualifications and Mandatory Requirements

Exhibit G: Vendor Assurance and Conflict-of-Interest Disclosure Template

Exhibit H: References

Exhibit I: Appendix B: Terms and Conditions Applicable to Materials Produced Under the

Agreement https://www.nycourts.gov/grants-contracts-procurement/current-solicitations

BIDDER’S RESPONSE DOCUMENT ENCLOSURE CHECKLIST

The following forms must be fully executed and included in Bidder’s proposal. Failure to do so may disqualify Bidder’s response. Please supply the below documents in the order presented in this Document

Enclosure Checklist.

Exhibit A – Pricing Sheet

Signed Document Enclosure Checklist

UCS Request for Bid/Proposal Form (UCS RFB.001.Cover.(Rev.4.22)) and complete bid response with original signature

Exhibit D– Data Security Questionnaire and Attestation for All Bidders

Exhibit F – Bidder Certification to Meeting Minimum Qualifications and Mandatory Requirements

Exhibit G – Vendor Assurance and Conflict-of-Interest Disclosure Template

Exhibit G – Vendor Assurance and Conflict-of-Interest Disclosure Template - Resolution or equivalent authorization of the bidder organization

Exhibit H – References

Attachment I - Standard Request for Bid Clauses & Forms p.3 - Non-Collusive Bidding Certificate p.4 – Acknowledgment of Individual or Corporation

Attachment II - Not Applicable

Attachment III - Vendor Responsibility Questionnaire

Questionnaire filed online via OSC VendRep System and certified within 6 months of the bid opening due date, or

Paper questionnaire

Attachment IV - Procurement Lobbying forms

Disclosure of Prior Non-Responsibility Determination (UCS 420)

Affirmation of Understanding and Agreement (UCS 421)

Certificates of NYS Workers’ Compensation and NYS Disability Benefits Insurance, or Certificate of

Attestation of Exemption.

Please see paragraph “Insurance Requirements” in Article XI (Contract Terms and Requirements) for a list of accepted forms.

One of the following: (i) copies of Bidder’s certificate(s) of insurance or other adequate proof evidencing the insurance coverages required by the bid specifications; or (ii) correspondence affirming that Bidder will supply such certificate(s) or proof upon notification of award and no later than five

(5) business days prior to commencement of the contract resulting from this RFP

Proprietary information in separate folder from bid response, if applicable

DOCUMENT ENCLOSURE CHECKLIST (continued)

In addition, Bidder shall provide:

Responses to the Narrative Description provisions set forth in Article VI, Required Response

Documents

Documentation of such prior engagement(s), including the name of the institution(s), the scope of the item banking or assessment management solution delivered, the approximate number of end users supported, and confirmation that the system has been successfully implemented (see Article IV, Minimum Qualifications and Mandatory Requirements)

Resumes for all staff who will provide Project Services. For those positions currently vacant, submit detailed job descriptions.

Copies of the Bidder’s audit reports or certified financial statements for the last three (3) years, or a statement as to why no reports or statements are available.

IMPORTANT:

1. All documents requiring an original signature must bear the BLUE INK signature of the same authorized individual. Signatory notarization must be that of the person whose signature is affixed to all required documents.

2. Exhibit A/Pricing Sheet and the other forms listed above must all have the SAME COMPANY NAME

AND TAX ID NUMBER in order for a purchase order or contract to be approved by the NYS

Comptroller.

3. Do not alter this solicitation in any manner. Any changes, deletions, or additions (including the addition of supplemental terms and conditions) to this RFP or to any exhibits or appendices to this RFP, including Exhibit A / Pricing Sheet, may result in the rejection of the bid as non-responsive.

4. Please note that the terms and conditions of this RFP will form the basis of the contract with the

Awarded Contractor (defined below).

5. Bidder Contact Information

Bidder’s Primary Contact for Bid Matters:

Name:

Street:

City:

State:

Zip:

Telephone Number:

Email:

6. Verification:

Authorized representative of Bidder must complete and sign below to verify submission of all documents required per the Document Enclosure Checklist:

COMPANY NAME:

AUTHORIZED OFFICER’S NAME AND TITLE:

SIGNATURE:

DATE:

I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The mission of the New York State Unified Court System (“UCS”) is to deliver equal justice under the law and to achieve the just, fair and efficient resolution of matters before the courts. In support of this mission, the UCS is committed to operating with integrity and transparency, and to ensuring that all who enter or serve in our courts are treated with respect, dignity, and professionalism. We affirm our responsibility to promote a court system free from any and all forms of bias and discrimination and to promote a judiciary and workforce that reflect the rich diversity of New York

State. More information about the UCS is available at https://www.nycourts.gov.

The Office of Court Administration (“OCA”) Division of Human Resources provides centralized personnel support services for the UCS, including recruitment, examinations, classification and compensation, benefits administration, training, career development, workforce planning, and equal employment opportunity initiatives. As part of these responsibilities, the Division of Human

Resources Exam Development Group develops and administers a variety of employment examinations and assessment instruments used to support hiring and promotional processes across the UCS statewide. To support these critical functions, UCS seeks to enhance its examination development capabilities through the implementation of a comprehensive item banking software solution. For purposes of this RFP, ‘item banking’ refers to the creation, storage, management, organization, and long-term maintenance of assessment items (e.g., test questions, prompts, scoring guides, metadata, and associated assets) within a secure, searchable repository used to develop examinations.

II. PROJECT INFORMATION

The OCA’s Division of Grants, Contracts and Procurement (“DGCP”) is soliciting sealed proposals via this Request for Proposals (“RFP”) on behalf of the Division of Human Resources

Exam Development Group (“HR”) for the purpose of seeking a qualified vendor to provide a comprehensive item banking software solution. The desired system will provide a secure, centralized, and scalable platform for the creation, review, storage, organization, and management of employment examination content used in UCS hiring and promotional testing processes. The solution is intended to support the full lifecycle of examination development activities, including collaborative item development, workflow management, test assembly, version control, reporting, and related administrative functions.

The UCS requires a commercially available, cloud-hosted solution that incorporates robust security controls and role-based access functionality to protect confidential examination materials and sensitive data. The system should offer a high degree of operational efficiency, support standardized examination development practices, enhance collaboration among authorized users, and provide flexibility to accommodate the evolving needs of the UCS.

https://www.nycourts.gov/

The selected vendor will be expected to provide implementation services, system configuration, user training, ongoing technical support, software maintenance, and related professional services necessary to ensure successful deployment and continued operation of the product.

** See EXHIBIT B BELOW, SCOPE OF WORK, for detailed specifications **

Key Bid Dates (Note: UCS reserves the right to modify any Key Bid Date as it may deem appropriate.)

Event Date

Bid Issue Date……………………………………… Monday, June 15, 2026

Question Due Date………………………………… Wednesday, July 8, 2026 at 2:00pm Eastern

Proposal Submission Deadline Date……………… Friday, July 31, 2026 at 2:00pm Eastern

Selection of Finalists……………………………… Upon completion of scoring

Video Demonstration by Finalists……………… Seven (7) business days after finalists are notified

Estimated Contract Start Date……………………. October 1, 2026

Note: Throughout this RFP, the terms bidder, proposer, vendor, and applicant are used interchangeably, as are RFP, bid and solicitation.

III. AWARD

A. Term of Award

A single contract (“Contract”) will be awarded to the successful Bidder (“Awarded Contractor”) for an initial term of five (5) years (“Initial Term”). The Contract is expected to commence on or about October 1, 2026, and terminate on or about September 30, 2031 (“Contract Term”).

The Contract is subject to the approval of the NYS Attorney General and the Office of the State

Comptroller.

B. Method of Award

A single award will be made pursuant to this RFP. The selected awardee must:

• Meet the minimum qualifications and mandatory requirements outlined in Article IV below and certified to UCS;

• Be a Responsible Bidder as determined in accordance with the criteria in Article X

(General Bid Requirements); and

• Receive the highest average composite (technical + cost) score in excess of the minimum score as determined by the selection criteria and scoring methodology set forth herein.

Proposals will be reviewed and rated by an evaluation committee made up of qualified UCS staff.

Proposals will be subjected to four phases of review/scoring:

Phase One. Proposals will first be reviewed for completeness and compliance with minimum qualifications and mandatory requirements.

Phase Two. Those that pass Phase One will be evaluated for technical merit and receive a preliminary technical criteria score, excluding pricing, product demonstration, and references. A minimum preliminary technical criteria score of 95 points or higher, is required for bidders to be eligible for Phase Three.

Phase Three. Bidders who achieve the minimum preliminary technical score in Phase Two will be invited to deliver a product demonstration and an oral presentation. Demonstrations will be scored by the evaluation committee and incorporated into the Bidder’s final technical score. The demonstration score will add to the preliminary technical criteria score from Phase Two; together with the preliminary technical criteria, the demonstration constitutes part of the final technical criteria score. Bidders who fail to achieve the minimum final technical criteria score will not advance to Phase Four.

Phase Four. Cost scores will be assigned to proposals with qualifying technical scores and combined to form a composite score. UCS may then recommend an award or request best and final offers (“BAFOs”), after which final cost and technical scores will be recombined to determine the final awardee (“Finalist Bidders”). Before a final award is offered, UCS will determine whether the apparently successful Bidder is a “Responsible Bidder” as that term is hereinafter defined.

Best and Final Offers (BAFOs)

UCS may request BAFOs on price from the Finalist Bidders. If negotiations or subsequent offers are solicited, Finalist Bidders shall provide BAFO(s) in response. Failure to deliver a BAFO when requested shall disqualify the non-responsive Finalist Bidder from further consideration. UCS will score BAFO(s) among Finalist Bidders in accordance with the cost evaluation methodology in section 2, below (Scoring for Cost). The BAFO cost score will be combined with the final technical score of each Finalist Bidder to determine final composite scores.

In the event of a tie final average composite score, the Bidder with the higher cost score will prevail. When price and other factors are found to be substantially equivalent, UCS will select the winning Bidder in its sole discretion.

Proposals will be scored as follows:

Technical Criteria Maximum

Points

Organizational Capacity and Experience 19

Technical Proficiency and Proposed

Services

Implementation, Testing, Training, and

Deployment

Post-Launch Stabilization, Support, and

Maintenance

Project Timeline 10

Additional Requirements 15

Total Preliminary Technical Criteria

Points Available

Product Demonstration 23

Total Final Technical Criteria Points

Available

Cost 35

Total Cost Points Available 35

TOTAL COMPOSITE POINTS

AVAILABLE

1. Scoring for Technical Criteria (Maximum of 137 points available)

Each Bidder’s preliminary technical criteria score will be determined by calculating the average of the evaluators’ technical criteria scores for that proposal.

For example: Bidder A’s proposal receives the following individual technical criteria scores by evaluator: Evaluator 1 gives 101 points. Evaluator 2 gives 123 points.

Evaluator 3 gives 110 points. Bidder A’s preliminary technical criteria score is 111 points

(the sum of (101 + 123 + 110) divided by 3, rounded).

As indicated in the table above, there are seven categories of technical criteria:

(1) Organizational Capacity and Experience; (2) Technical Proficiency and Proposed

Services; (3) Implementation, Testing, Training, and Deployment; (4) Post-Launch

Stabilization, Support, and Maintenance; (5) Project Timeline; and (6) Additional

Requirements.

Bidders invited to Phase Three (Product Demonstration) will be required to deliver a live product demonstration showing how their proposed system supports key functions, including item authoring, workflow configuration, test assembly, reporting, and security features. Demonstrations must present the actual system and will be scored as part of the final technical criteria.

Specific guidance about how those demonstrations will be scored will be provided to

Bidders once they are invited to provide a demonstration.

Note: A minimum final technical criteria score of 110 points (average of all evaluators) is required for an award to be made.

2. Scoring for Cost (Maximum of 35 points available)

Proposals will be scored for cost based on information supplied in Bidder’s Exhibit A/

Pricing Sheet.

The proposal with the lowest Total Projected Cost as shown in Exhibit A/Pricing Sheet will receive thirty-five (35) cost points in the category titled Cost.

All other proposals will receive a proportionally lower score based on the following formula:

Lowest cost proposal ÷ Higher cost proposal × 35

For example: Assuming the lowest Total Projected Cost proposed is $100 and the next lowest Total Projected Cost proposed is $125, the proposal with the $100 Total Projected

Cost would be awarded 35 points, and the proposal with the $125 Total Projected Cost would be awarded 28 points based on the following computation:

100 ÷ 125 = 0.8 × 35 = 28 points

The result of this equation will be rounded up or down to the nearest whole integer.

3. Scoring for Product Demonstration (Maximum of 23 points available)

The Product Demonstration score will be added to the Bidder’s narrative Technical

Criteria score from Phase Two to determine the Bidder’s final Technical Score.

IV. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

A. Minimum Qualifications

1. Organizational Experience: The Bidder must have at least three (3) years of demonstrated experience in providing item banking, assessment management, or similar large-scale content management systems to educational institutions, government agencies, certification/licensure bodies, or other public or private organizations that manage large-scale assessments.

2. Relevant Project Experience: The Bidder must have completed at least two (2) implementations of item banking or assessment-related software with comparable scope, including: item authoring, workflow management, metadata tagging, psychometric/statistical functionality, and test assembly.

3. Financial Stability: The Bidder must demonstrate financial stability and organizational viability through acceptable financial documentation (e.g., audited financial statements, certification of solvency, or other acceptable evidence).

B. Mandatory Requirements

1. The proposed solution must support cloud-based (SaaS) and/or on-premises deployment models, scale to support large volumes of users, items, and concurrent activities without degradation in performance.

2. The proposed solution, including all hosting, storage, and transmission of UCS data, must meet Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP®)

Moderate or High Impact Level Security Controls Baseline and operate in a U.S.

GovCloud or equivalent environment that ensures data sovereignty within the continental United States (“CONUS”). CONUS includes the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia.

3. Support Capacity: The Bidder must have an established technical support structure capable of providing multi-year system maintenance, user support, and regular updates.

4. The Bidder must offer an existing, production-ready item banking software solution.

The development of new software or major functional components after award is not allowable. Only currently implemented and operational systems will be accepted.

V. PRICING

All pricing submitted pursuant to the solicitation shall be net f.o.b. destination unless otherwise expressly specified herein.

Other than the pricing submitted on Exhibit A/Pricing Sheet, there shall be no other charge, cost, reimbursement, or expense of any kind payable by UCS in connection with or arising from Awarded

Contractor’s performance of the services set forth herein. Awarded Contractor shall be solely responsible for all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of such services.

Pricing shall be submitted only on, and in the format prescribed by, Exhibit A/Pricing Sheet.

Bidder must provide pricing as requested in Exhibit A/Pricing Sheet.

Pricing will remain unchanged during the Initial Term.

A. Payment

Awarded Contractor shall send true and accurate invoices (see Exhibit B, Scope of Work).

Payment shall be made quarterly in arrears and shall be made upon submission by Awarded

Contractor and approval by UCS of invoices satisfactory to UCS and OSC.

Payment for goods delivered/services performed under the awarded contract shall be conditioned upon the acceptance and approval of such items/services, such that it is sufficiently complete in accordance with the RFP specification, so that UCS can utilize the goods/services for its intended purpose.

VI. BID RESPONSE DOCUMENTS

General Requirements

All documentation must be submitted on prescribed forms, without alteration. Where no form is included or specified, submissions must be single-spaced with one-inch page margins (not including attachments or financial forms) using a 12-point font. Pages should be numbered. To facilitate photocopying, do not permanently bind documents.

Bidders must submit every document listed in Sections A through K, below. Failure to provide all documents in the manner required – including the number of requested copies - may result in disqualification of a bid response. Any changes, deletions, or additions (including the addition of supplemental terms and conditions) to this RFP or to any exhibits or appendices to this RFP, including Exhibit A / Pricing Sheet, may result in the rejection of the bid as non-responsive.

Required Proposal Documents

A. Exhibit A (Pricing Sheet)

Exhibit A/Pricing Sheet must be completed in full, fully executed, and included in bidder’s proposal. Failure to do so may disqualify bidder’s response.

Information about the bidder’s pricing, including the total projected cost, shall be set forth

EXCLUSIVELY in Exhibit A. Inclusion of bidder’s pricing or other cost information in any document other than Exhibit A may disqualify bidder’s proposal.

1. Section 1, Software Licensing/Subscription Fees: The Bidder shall provide all applicable licensing or subscription fees required for use of the proposed item banking software solution. Pricing must reflect a fully-loaded cost including all modules, features, user access levels, storage, hosting, and security requirements as described in the RFP.

2. Section 2, One-Time Implementation Services: The Bidder shall provide detailed, itemized pricing for all implementation services required to deliver a fully operational solution, including configuration, import of existing item data, UAT support, and deployment.

3. Section 3, Annual Support, Maintenance, and Updates: Support and maintenance pricing must cover help desk availability, Service Level Agreements (“SLAs”), bug fixes and patches, version upgrades, scheduled maintenance, feature updates/enhancements.

B. Narrative Description: Organizational Capacity and Experience

1. Organizational Overview: Describe your organization’s structure, mission, and history.

Explain how your core business aligns with the delivery and long-term support of item banking or assessment management software solutions. Indicate the number of years the organization has been providing item banking, assessment management, or similar large scale content management systems to educational institutions, government agencies, certification/licensure bodies or other public or private organizations that manage large-scale assessments.

2. Personnel Qualifications: Identify the key personnel who will be assigned to this project. For each role, describe relevant experience with assessment development, item bank administration, psychometrics, software implementation, security, or support.

Submit resumes for all staff who will provide Project Services. For those positions currently vacant, submit detailed job descriptions. (Note: resumes and job descriptions will not be counted against the page limit for the narrative description of the applicant’s proposed staffing).

3. Financial and Organizational Stability: Provide evidence of financial stability and organizational capacity to support multi-year system implementation and maintenance.

Include information on corporate longevity, annual revenue ranges, and any relevant financial certifications. Examples of evidence include but are not limited to audited financial statements, certifications of solvency, documentation of internal financial controls, documented policies and procedures, etc.

4. Security, Privacy, and Compliance Competency: Describe your organization’s approach to data security, privacy, and regulatory compliance. Include your adherence to standards such as SOC 2, ISO/IEC 27001, and WCAG. Explain your processes related to encryption, access control, incident response, auditing, data retention, backups, and system monitoring.

5. Technical and Operational Capacity: Describe your organization’s technical and operational capacity (e.g., hosting environment (on-premises, SaaS, or both), scalability, uptime performance, and infrastructure support model).

6. Relevant Experience and Expertise: Provide descriptions of three comparable implementations involving item banking, assessment development, or psychometric software delivered to government agencies, educational institutions, or certification/licensure bodies. Include project scope and outcomes.

7. Project Management and Delivery Approach: Describe your project management methodology. Explain how you will manage schedules, risks, communication, status reporting, and milestone tracking throughout implementation.

C. Narrative Description: Technical Proficiency and Proposed Services

* All major technical elements that might drive cost (modules, licensing, hosting, integrations, analytics, item authoring features, workflow engine, etc.) are reflected in the following sections of Exhibit A (Pricing Sheet): Section 1 (Licensing/Subscription), and Section 2 (Maintenance)

8. Comprehensive Solution Description: Provide a detailed overview of your proposed item banking software solution. Explain how it meets the functional, technical, security, and accessibility requirements defined in this RFP.

9. Item Authoring and Editing Capabilities: Describe how your system supports the creation and editing of diverse item types, including multimedia and technology-enhanced items. Explain your rich-text editor, equation support, accessibility features, metadata tagging, version control, and collaboration tools (e.g., comments, revision history).

10. Workflow Configuration and Role Management: Explain how configurable workflows are created, managed, and used across item development stages. Describe role-based access controls, permission structures, and workflow auditing capabilities.

11. Item Bank Management Tools: Describe your system’s capabilities for storing, organizing, archiving, and retrieving item content. Include search functionality, metadata filtering, version management, archiving rules, and support for bulk operations.

12. Test Assembly and Form Generation: Describe your manual and automated test assembly tools. Explain your support for test blueprinting, constraint enforcement, statistical targets, randomization, multi-form generation, and export capabilities. For example, Question and Test Interoperability (“QTI”), Extensible Markup Language

(“XML”),

13. Reporting and Analytics: Describe your item-level, test-level, and program-level reporting tools. Include item analysis features, psychometric indicators, dashboards, export formats, item response theory (“IRT”) support, and integration with external analysis tools.

14. Integration and Interoperability: Explain how your solution integrates with external systems through Application Programming Interfaces (“APIs”). Describe your support for QTI and other standard formats, bulk import/export processes, and data validation mechanisms.

15. Security and Compliance Functionality: Describe the security controls built into the system, including authentication, multi-factor authentication (“MFA”), single sign-on

(“SSO”), password policies, session controls, audit logs, encryption, backups, redundancy, and compliance certifications.

D. Narrative Description: Implementation, Testing, Training, and Deployment

*Everything in this section is reflected in the following sections of Exhibit A (Pricing Sheet):

Section 2 (One-Time Implementation Services).

16. Implementation Plan: Provide a detailed description of your proposed implementation approach, including configuration, customization, workflow setup, environment provisioning, and project milestones.

17. Data Import Approach: Describe your approach for bulk import of item data using standard file formats such as Excel or CSV. Include validation processes that ensure accuracy and completeness.

18. Integration Support: Describe your approach to configuring and validating integrations with existing UCS systems or any external test delivery platforms.

19. Testing and User Acceptance Testing (“UAT”) Support: Explain your testing methodology, including system testing, UAT planning support, issue resolution, and pre-deployment validation.

20. Training and Knowledge Transfer: Describe your training approach for administrators, psychometric staff, item writers, and end users. Include training formats, documentation provided, and ongoing training resources.

21. Deployment and Transition to Operations: Describe your deployment process, go-live support, stabilization period, and transition plan for ongoing operations.

E. Narrative Description: Post-Launch Stabilization, Support, and Maintenance

*Everything in this section is reflected in the following sections of Exhibit A (Pricing Sheet):

Section 3 (Support/Maintenance).

22. Post-Deployment Stabilization: Describe your approach to post-go-live stabilization, including response procedures, issue tracking, escalation paths, and stabilization SLAs.

23. Ongoing Technical Support: Provide a detailed description of your support model, including help desk availability, incident management processes, service levels, maintenance windows, update schedules, and release management.

24. Product Enhancements and Roadmap: Describe how system improvements, patches, new features, and security updates are delivered. Include information about your long-term product roadmap and customer feedback process.

F. Narrative Description: Project Timeline

25. Proposed Project Schedule: Provide a proposed project timeline addressing all phases described in the RFP (planning, configuration, import of existing item data, integration, UAT, deployment, stabilization). Include key milestones, deliverables, roles, and estimated durations. Specifically, include details about the following phases:

• Project planning, stakeholder alignment, and requirements confirmation

• System setup, workflow configuration, and customization

• Conduct bulk import of item data using standard file formats such as Excel or CSV, validating for accuracy and completeness

• System testing, UAT, and issue resolution

• Deployment to production environment and transition to operational use

• Stabilization period and ongoing support

G. Narrative Description: Additional Requirements

26. Acceptance Criteria Alignment: Explain how your proposed solution will meet all acceptance criteria, including UAT completion, security benchmarks, performance requirements, integration functionality, and documentation readiness.

27. Dependencies and Requirements: Identify any dependencies, or requirements for UCS resources that could impact project delivery.

H. Bidder Contact Information

Bidder shall designate, where specified in the Document Enclosure Checklist, a person as primary contact for all questions UCS may have regarding bidder’s bid response.

I. Financial Stability

Copies of the Bidder’s audit reports or certified financial statements for the last three (3) years, or a statement as to why no reports or statements are available.

J. References

Each bidder must submit three (3) references, other than UCS, for whom the bidder has provided similar services at any time during the past three (3) years. The bidder must supply such information using the template in Exhibit H.

K. NYS Bid Forms

i. Attachment I - Standard Request for Bid Clauses & Forms and Attachment IV-

Procurement Lobbying Law required forms

In addition to such other specifications and criteria as are presented herein, the NYS

Unified Court System Attachment I - Standard Request for Bid Clauses & Forms, and

Attachment IV - Disclosure of Prior Non-Responsibility Determination (UCS 420) and

Affirmation of Understanding and Agreement (UCS 421) pursuant to the Procurement

Lobbying Act, which must be downloaded or printed from the UCS Contract &

Procurement website under “Addenda” for the appropriate solicitation, are incorporated and made a part of this RFP.

ii. Attachment III - Vendor Responsibility Questionnaire

The NYS Unified Court System (“UCS”) is required to conduct a review of a prospective vendor to provide reasonable assurances that the vendor is responsible. The required

Vendor Responsibility Questionnaire is designed to provide information to assist UCS in assessing a vendor’s responsibility prior to entering into a contract with the vendor. Vendor responsibility is determined by a review of each prospective vendor’s legal authority to do business in New York State, business integrity, financial and organizational resources, and performance history (including references).

The UCS recommends that vendors file the required Vendor Responsibility Questionnaire online via the New York State VendRep System. However, vendors may choose to complete a paper questionnaire and submit it with their Proposal.

Online Questionnaire: To enroll in and use the New York State VendRep System, see the VendRep System Instructions available at http://www.osc.state.ny.us/state-vendors/vendrep/vendrep-system or go directly to the VendRep System online at https://onlineservices.osc.state.ny.us/Enrollment/login?1. Vendors must provide their New

York State Vendor Identification Number when enrolling (see paragraph headed New York

State Vendor File Registration’ for instructions on obtaining a Vendor Identification

Number). For VendRep System assistance, contact the Office of the State Comptroller’s

Help Desk at 866-370-4672 or 518-408-4672 or by email at

ITServiceDesk@osc.state.ny.us.

Bidders who file the Vendor Responsibility Questionnaire online via the OSC VendRep

System are requested to checkmark the appropriate box on the Document Enclosure

Checklist. Please note that online submissions must be certified and dated/updated not more than six (6) months prior to the bid opening date of this RFP. Bidders’ authorized signature of the RFP form will serve as confirmation that Bidders have knowingly filed their questionnaire online if the paper questionnaire is not included with the bidder’s submission.

Paper Questionnaire: Vendors opting to complete and submit a paper questionnaire can obtain the appropriate questionnaire from the VendRep website www.osc.state.ny.us/vendrep/forms_vendor.htm or may contact the UCS or the Office of the

State Comptroller’s Help Desk for a copy of the paper form.

http://www.osc.state.ny.us/state-vendors/vendrep/vendrep-system http://www.osc.state.ny.us/state-vendors/vendrep/vendrep-system https://onlineservices.osc.state.ny.us/Enrollment/login?1 mailto:ITServiceDesk@osc.state.ny.us http://www.osc.state.ny.us/vendrep/forms_vendor.htm

iii. New York State Vendor File Registration

Prior to being awarded a contract pursuant to this RFP, the Bidder(s) must be registered in the New York State Vendor File (Vendor File) administered by the OSC. This is a central registry for all vendors who do business with New York State agencies and the registration must be initiated by a State agency. Following the initial registration, a unique New York

State ten-digit vendor identification number (Vendor ID) will be assigned to vendors for usage on all future transactions with New York State. Additionally, the Vendor File enables vendors to use the Vendor Self-Service application to manage certain vendor information in one central location for all transactions related to the State of New York.

If the Bidder is already registered in the Vendor File, the vendor must enter the vendor’s ten-digit Vendor ID on the first page of this RFP.

If the Bidder is not currently registered in the Vendor File, upon award of a contract the Bidder must complete the OSC Substitute W-9 Form

(https://www.osc.state.ny.us/sites/default/files/vendors/2017-11/vendor-form-ac3237s-fe.pdf) and submit the form to UCS. The UCS will initiate the vendor registration process for the vendor. Once the process is initiated, vendor will receive an e-mail identifying their unique ten-digit Vendor ID and instructions on how to enroll in the online Vendor Self-

Service application. For more information on the Vendor File please visit the following website:

https://esupplier.sfs.ny.gov/psc/fscm/SUPPLIER/ERP/c/NUI_FRAMEWORK.PT_LANDI

NGPAGE.GBL?&.

iv. Electronic Payments

Vendors not currently receiving electronic payments, and who wish to do so, should enroll in ePayment – New York State’s electronic payment program for vendors. To do so, vendors need to log onto the Vendor Self-Service Portal and enter their bank account information. ePayments will ensure you are receiving payments faster and in a more secure manner. If you need assistance in accessing the Vendor Self-Service Portal, please contact the SFS Helpdesk at helpdesk@sfs.ny.gov or 1-877-737-4185.

v. Proof of Insurance

Bidder must provide together with its Proposal all documentation required pursuant to

Article XI, “Insurance Requirements.”

VII. BID SUBMISSION PROCEDURES

Proposals must be received by UCS by the date and time indicated as the Bid Submission Deadline

Date. UCS may disqualify proposals received after the Bid Submission Deadline Date for lateness.

https://www.osc.state.ny.us/sites/default/files/vendors/2017-11/vendor-form-ac3237s-fe.pdf https://www.osc.state.ny.us/sites/default/files/vendors/2017-11/vendor-form-ac3237s-fe.pdf https://esupplier.sfs.ny.gov/psc/fscm/SUPPLIER/ERP/c/NUI_FRAMEWORK.PT_LANDINGPAGE.GBL?& https://esupplier.sfs.ny.gov/psc/fscm/SUPPLIER/ERP/c/NUI_FRAMEWORK.PT_LANDINGPAGE.GBL?& mailto:helpdesk@sfs.ny.gov

A. Submission of Proposals by Hand Delivery or Mail

Applicants must submit their proposals by hand delivery or mail. Only one (1) signed, hard copy original complete proposal is required. Proposals will not be accepted electronically or by fax.

Proposals must be clearly addressed and submitted to:

NYS Unified Court System

Division of Grants, Contracts and Procurement

2500 Pond View, Suite 104

Castleton-on-Hudson, New York 12033

ATTN: Alina Zielinski

All envelopes/cartons must also be labeled on the outside with the following information on two sides, visible to the designated contact upon receipt:

“Deliver immediately to Alina Zielinski”

“Sealed Application - Do not open”

“RFP # OCA-DGCP-76 Comprehensive Item Banking Software Solution, Human Resources”

– Due Friday, July 31, 2026 at 2:00pm Eastern”

B. Submission Deadline

Applications must arrive at the address above by no later than Friday, July 31, 2026, at 2:00pm

Eastern. Any bid/proposal received after this deadline will be declared a late bid and may be disqualified. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a late bid may be accepted by UCS in its sole discretion if: (i) an insufficient number of timely bids/proposals meeting the requirements of this

RFB are received; or (ii) the bidder has satisfactorily demonstrated to UCS that the late bid was caused solely by factors outside the control of the bidder. However, in no event shall UCS be obligated to accept a late bid, and in making such determination, UCS will consider whether accepting a late bid would materially benefit or disadvantage a particular bidder. It is recommended that Bidders allow several extra days for shipping in order to meet the deadline.

C. Amendment of Proposals

Bidders may only amend submitted proposals prior to the Bid Submission Deadline Date.

Amended proposals must be submitted in packaging which clearly indicates “Amended Proposal for RFP # OCA-DGCP-076.” Amended proposals must be signed by an individual who is duly authorized to amend the bidder’s original proposal. Amended proposals must be submitted in the same manner as original proposals described herein. Amended proposals received by UCS after the Bid Submission Deadline Date may be rejected for lateness.

D. Withdrawal of Proposal Prior to Bid Submission Deadline Date

A proposal may be withdrawn at any time prior to the Bid Submission Deadline Date. If multiple proposals are submitted by the same bidder, the bidder must clearly indicate to which proposal the withdrawal applies.

E. Bidder Confidential/Proprietary Information

If applicable, Bidders must specifically identify those portions of the proposal deemed to contain confidential or proprietary information or trade secrets and must provide justification why such material, upon request, should not be disclosed to parties other than UCS. Bidders are advised that any material deemed confidential by bidder may still be subject to disclosure in connection with any governmental or judicial proceeding or inquiry or as may be required by applicable law, including, but not limited to, Article 6 of the New York Public Officers Law (Freedom of

Information Law). Such confidential/proprietary information must be in a separate folder from the non-confidential sections of the proposal.

F. No-Bids

Bidders deciding not to answer this RFP are requested to send a no-bid letter to OCA, Attn: Alina

Zielinski, Assistant Court Analyst, NYS Unified Court System, Division of Grants, Contracts and

Procurement, 2500 Pond View, Suite 104, Castleton-on-Hudson, NY 12033. The envelope must be clearly marked in the lower left corner as follows: RFP # OCA-DGCP-076. No-bid letters may alternatively be sent by email to AZielins@nycourts.gov. Please indicate in “Subject” field: RFP

# OCA-DGCP-076 – No-Bid.

VIII. QUESTIONS

Any and all questions applicants may have in connection with this RFP are to be directed by email only to:

Alina Zielinski

AZielins@nycourts.gov

Please indicate in “Subject” field: RFP # OCA-DGCP-076 Comprehensive Item Banking Software

Solution, Human Resources Question(s)

The deadline to submit questions is July 8, 2026, at 2:00pm Eastern. No questions will be entertained after this deadline. A written Questions & Answers (Q&A) listing all questions received and their answers will be posted on the UCS website at https://www.nycourts.gov/grants-contracts-procurement/current-solicitations in the Additional Documents sections for the appropriate solicitation and emailed to the applicants list promptly after this deadline.

IMPORTANT: Contact by any prospective applicant, or any representative thereof, with any other personnel of the UCS in connection with this RFP may violate the Procurement Lobbying Act of 2005

(see Attachment IV), will jeopardize the respective applicant's standing and may cause rejection of its proposal.

IX. PRE-BID CONFERENCE

A pre-bid conference will not be held.

X. GENERAL BID REQUIREMENTS

The terms and conditions set forth below are binding on, and incorporated into this RFP, the

Bidder’s proposal, and any contract resulting from this RFP.

Access to Court Facilities

Awarded Contractor must comply with all applicable location rules, policies, guidelines, and procedures in order to be granted access to court facilities. Where applicable to the performance of work under an awarded contract, Bidders shall be wholly responsible for familiarity with the physical layout and access to the courts and buildings in question, including but not limited to, roadways, overhangs, parking, security, elevators, required access permits or insurance certificates. Court staff cannot modify security measures, access protocols, or parking restrictions to facilitate Awarded Contractor’s entrance to or egress from court facilities unless required to do so by law.

Background Checks / Onboarding

All Contractor Staff, prior to the commencement of any services, including off-site services, shall comply with all UCS onboarding and security clearance requirements, including any necessary training, for access to UCS Data or UCS Facilities. Contractor agrees that its workers performing services under this contract or who will have access to UCS Data shall be required to undergo at least the same security clearances as those required of UCS Employees. Unless otherwise approved by UCS in its sole discretion, each prospective or current worker of Contractor designated to work on this Contract with UCS shall submit identifying information to UCS and be fingerprinted. UCS will arrange for the scheduling of fingerprinting. Such fingerprints shall be submitted to the NYS

Division of Criminal Justice Services for state criminal history check and, where authorized, the

Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) for national criminal history check. All expenses, including travel and lodging, associated with the onboarding and security clearance process including fingerprinting of Contractor staff are the responsibility of the Contractor and are not reimbursable.

UCS shall make all suitability determinations on Contractor Staff. For purposes hereof, a

“suitability determination” is a determination that there are reasonable grounds to believe that an individual will likely be able to perform the Contract requirements without undue risk to the interests of UCS. Failure of a security clearance or non-compliance with this provision will disqualify any Contractor staff from performing any Services on the Contract. If any Contractor staff are removed from providing Services under the resulting Contract, they may be subject to all onboarding and security clearance requirements if they are returned to performing Services under the Contract.

Binding Nature of Bid/Proposal on Bidders

All bids/proposals shall remain binding on Bidders until such time as UCS/OCA provides written notification of its intent to award the contract to a specific bidder or until the bidder requests withdrawal of its bid/proposal in writing, and such withdrawal is accepted by UCS/OCA in its sole discretion in accordance with applicable law, whichever occurs first.

Charities Registration (not-for-profit corporations only)

Not-for-profit corporation vendors must be registered with the New York State Office of the

Attorney General as a charitable organization, and the registration must be up to date at the time of contract approval. Vendors must be sure all their documents are up-to-date and comply with the vendor responsibility requirements as outlined below. To determine the status of your charities registration with the Attorney General, contact:

https://www.charitiesnys.com/RegistrySearch/search_charities.jsp

Clarification/Correction of Bids/Proposals

In addition to any rights articulated elsewhere in this solicitation, UCS reserves the right to require clarification at any time during the procurement process and/or require correction of arithmetic or other apparent errors for the purpose of assuring a full and complete understanding of a bidder’s proposal and/or to determine a bidder’s compliance with the requirements of this solicitation. This clarifying information, if requested in writing by UCS, must be submitted by the bidder, in accordance with formats as prescribed by UCS at the time said information is requested and, if received by the due date set forth in UCS’s request for clarification, shall be included as a formal part of the bidder’s proposal. Clarifying information, if any, whether provided orally, visually, or in writing, will be considered in the evaluation process. Failure to provide required information by its associated due date may result in rejection of the bidder’s proposal. Nothing in the foregoing shall mean or imply that UCS is obligated to seek or allow clarifications or corrections as provided for herein.

Estimated Quantities

Any quantities specified in this solicitation constitute estimates only, and accordingly no commitment or guarantee to reach any specified volume of business is made or implied.

Awarded Contractor must accept all requests for services placed by UCS during the term of an awarded contract.

https://www.charitiesnys.com/RegistrySearch/search_charities.jsp

Federal Requirements

If an award made under this bid is funded in whole or in part with federal funds, the bid/award recipient shall, at its cost and expense, promptly and fully comply with, and assist UCS as may be necessary in complying with, any federal requirements applicable to such federal award and funding. It is the responsibility of the applicant to be fully familiar with the federal terms and conditions of the award.

Financial Stability

U…