Packback_Inc_Sole_Source_Notice_Renewal_2_23157-SSD-IV_092225.pdf

HillsboroughSchools.org • P.O. Box 3408 • Tampa, FL 33601-3408 • (813) 272-4000 Raymond O. Shelton School Administrative Center • 901 East Kennedy Blvd. • Tampa, FL 33602-3507

NOTICE OF INTENT TO PURCHASE SINGLE/SOLE SOURCE

COMMODITIES AND SERVICES

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

PROCUREMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT

The following commodities and services listed below may be a “Single Source” or a “Sole Source” (only one (1) source from which to purchase the commodities and services).

Single/Sole Source No. & Vendor Name: 23157-SSD-IV (Renewal 2): Packback, Inc.

S/W licenses and custom professional development services.

Single/Sole Source Posting Date (7 business days):

Beginning Date: September 22, 2025 - Ending Date: October 1, 2025

Notice of Intent to Sole Source (3 business days):

Beginning Date: October 1, 2025 - Ending Date: October 6, 2025.

Commodities and Services: See Exhibit A.

This NOTICE OF INTENT TO PURCHASE SINGLE/SOLE SOURCE shall serve as a notification that a recommendation will be made to The School Board of Hillsborough County, Florida (the “School Board”) to award this single or sole source procurement to the referenced vendor of the commodities and services described in Exhibit A: SINGLE/SOLE SOURCE COMMODITIES AND SERVICES. The description of the commodities and services intended for purchase from a single/sole source is posted per Rule 6A-1.012(12)(d), Florida Administrative Code, and will remain posted for seven (7) business days.

This is not a request for bids, proposals, or replies, and there is no competitive solicitation available. HCPS will not consider any response as a bid, proposal, or reply. Any responses received because of this notice will be considered solely for determining whether competition exists.

Interested firms or individuals may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement by emailing EXHIBIT B: RESPONSE TO PURCHASE SINGLE/SOLE SOURCE COMMODITIES AND SERVICES and all relevant documents to the Procurement Services representative, see Exhibit B. “Like” shall mean equal, equivalent, and/or identical. Interested firms will be considered only if they respond with clear and convincing documentation that they are capable of meeting or exceeding the requirements stated herein. All responses received within seven (7) calendar days after the date of publication of this Notice of Intent To Purchase Single/Sole Source will be reviewed by HCPS.

A determination by the General Manager of Procurement Services, or designee, and the Procurement Officer not to publish a competitive solicitation for this proposed action based on the responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the General Manager of Procurement Services.

Notice of Intent to Sole Source: If Procurement Services does not receive “like” commodities and services information during the Single/Sole Source posting period, above, the purchase request shall be issued to the School Board or renewed as approved by the School Board. This section shall serve as notice of the intended decision to enter a single/sole source contract in the manner specified in § 120.57(3), Florida Statutes, and may negotiate on the best terms and conditions with the single/sole source vendor. HCPS shall submit a recommendation to the School Board (www.hillsboroughschools.org/Page/3643) requesting approval to waive the solicitation process and proceed with the single/sole source purchase. Decisions concerning multiple-year sole sourcing are valid for 1 year after approval by the School Board and must be reposted and validated before the renewal period.

Failure to file a protest within the time prescribed in § 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. Any protest concerning HCPS’s decision must be timely received by the General Manager of Procurement Services at the address below.

http://www.hillsboroughschools.org/Page/3643

Hillsborough County Public Schools Page 2 of 4 23157-SSD-IV (Renewal 2): Packback, Inc.

EXHIBIT A

SINGLE/SOLE SOURCE COMMODITIES AND SERVICES

1. Describe what the item commodity and service is and how it is to be used by HCPS.

Packback is a digital writing assistant for every student, along with a digital grading assistant for every teacher. The program is integrated with the Canvas learning management system and is focused on Grades 9-12 for writing across the curriculum. The system helps develop student “thinking” through their writing; Packback leverages technology that coaches students with instant, real-time feedback as they write on not only their mechanical aspects of writing but their critical thinking skills in their writing. This includes research credibility, question formulation, and response construction.

For teachers, the system enables educators to save time with writing facilitation, assign writing more frequently, and help teachers become better evaluators of writing. The program allows teachers to set up customizable rubrics for any of the activities they already facilitate and will provide “grading assistance” suggestions and insights for teachers to review based on their customized rubric.

The “Packback Platform Suite” contains three products: (1) “Questions” develops critical thinking through inquiry-driven discussion in a short-form writing activity, (2) “Deep Dives” improves written communication and research skills through long-form writing, and (3) “Instruct” provides feedback-prompting dashboards that drive teacher-student interactions to every student at scale.

Packback will provide HCPS with designated Curriculum Consultants to conduct in-person workshops, virtual or in-person teacher onboarding, and customized professional development. Packback will also provide HCPS with unlimited, on-demand one-on-one teacher consultation as requested by teachers. The implementation of Packback’s technology coupled with professional development and on-demand one-on-one consultations will support the development of HCPS teachers in optimizing their time, improving their satisfaction, and improving their effectiveness in providing students’ feedback.

2. What feature or special condition of this commodity and service is unique and cannot be obtained from any other source?

Packback is the only commercially available provider of A.I.-automated student feedback delivery on critical thinking skills through writing, and the only commercially available provider of A.I.-automated grading assistance for teachers through customizable rubrics created by the teacher.

3. Vendor-provided information.

The Packback website states “Packback's Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) delivers a digital writing tutor for every student, and a digital grading assistant for every instructor ". We certify that Packback is a sole source product.

Packback is the only commercially available provider of A.I.-automated student feedback delivery on critical thinking skills through writing, and the only commercially available provider of A.I.-automated grading assistance for teachers through customizable rubrics created by the teacher. Packback is also the only commercially available provider that combines the above with plagiarism and AI-generated text detection services in the same workflow for the student and teacher.

For students: Packback does not auto-correct sentences for students but rather coaches them on their writing and critical thinking skills in real-time as they write. This technology as well as methodology is unique to the market.

For teachers: Packback does not auto-grade writing for teachers but rather gives the teachers recommendations for scoring, as well as insights & alerts to save them time and make them better evaluators of writing -- all based on the individualized rubric they construct in the system. This is unique to the market both in methodology and technological capability.

Hillsborough County Public Schools Page 3 of 4

Packback's artificial intelligence technology is proprietary, developed in-house, and utilizes Natural Language Processing to evaluate students’ critical thinking skills in their writing.

Packback's sole source status has been accepted in Florida's K12 districts & higher-education institutions at Orange County Public Schools, the School District of Osceola, Miami Dade College, Florida Southwestern State College, and Florida State College of Jacksonville.

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Hillsborough County Public Schools Page 4 of 4

EXHIBIT B

RESPONSE TO PURCHASE SINGLE/SOLE SOURCE

COMMODITIES AND SERVICES

Note: responses received after the Response Due Date and Time, on page one) will not be accepted.

Respondents who believe they have a “like” product or have a “like” service must upload this EXHIBIT B: RESPONSE TO PURCHASE SINGLE/SOLE SOURCE COMMODITIES AND SERVICES and provide sufficient information regarding their ability to supply the described commodities and services to allow for an evaluation to determine “like” commodities or “like” services.

The following must be completed, signed, and returned as part of your response. Your response will not be accepted without this form, signed by a supplier’s authorized agent.

Company Name:

Mailing Address:

City, State, Zip:

Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN):

Telephone Number:

Email:

Signature

Title Date