PDF_RFI _Towing APP_9.26.25~1.pdf

2025-MSP TOWING SOFTWARE / APPLICATION

Request for Information (RFI)

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (“RFI”) ONLY. THIS IS NOT A CONTRACT

SOLICITATION. The Massachusetts Department of State Police (“MSP”/ “the Department”) is conducting market research that could result in the issuance of a future Request for Response (“RFR”) for a contract. To effectively meet the needs of MSP and to inform the writing of a possible future RFR, MSP is issuing this RFI to gain information and to help identify industry standards, best practices, different models of service delivery, and potential price structures. Therefore, prior to the issuance of any RFR, this RFI is being issued solely to gather information from the vendor community.

Respondents to this RFI are asked to describe the Towing Software Applications it provides that are used by similar sized and structured state police departments to the MSP. Additional specifications are outlined in Section B.

The RFI response shall be submitted electronically via COMMBUYS. Vendors should contact the COMMBUYS Help Desk for technical assistance if needed. The COMMBUYS Help Desk can be reached at: COMMBUYS@state.ma.us or by phone during normal business hours (8AM – 5PM Monday – Friday) at (888) 627-8283 or (617) 720-3197.

Vendors submitting a response electronically in COMMBUYS should upload their RFI response by naming the file attachment as: Response - 2025-MSP-Towing Software/Application.

Instructions: Please complete and respond to Sections A and B below, using additional pages as needed: (A) Company Information Profile and (B) All RFI specifications.

This RFI will remain open for approximately two (2) weeks from the date of its publication. This RFI was posted on September 26, 2025. Responses are due in COMMBUYS no later than by 3:00PM EST on October 10, 2025.

Section A. Please provide a Company Information Profile:

Company Information

Use this column for the answer

Company name

Street address, city, state, zip code

Main phone number

Toll-free phone number

Website

RFI: Vendor Contact

Person

Use this column for the answer

Name, Title

Phone number

Email (required) mailto:COMMBUYS@state.ma.us

Company Information:

Vendor Response Required:

I. Business Background. Vendors must provide a brief overall description of your company business, business history, and company background. Limit: 1 page.

II. Industry Experience. Vendors must provide a brief description of your company’s business and industry experience in providing towing software/applications to similar sized and structured state police departments to the MSP. Limit: 1 page.

III. Value Added Services Please describe any value-added services provided by your company that are relevant to the scope of this RFI and a potential future RFR. Limit: 1 page.

Section B. Please provide a written narrative response to the following RFI specifications:

Background:

The MSP currently contracts with many qualified Tow Service Providers (“TSP”) for Tow, Recovery, Service, and HAZMAT services across the Commonwealth to maintain public safety and provide rapid assistance to motorists. These TSP contracts help ensure adequate and continuous coverage of all ways for police-directed involuntary towing, service and recovery of vehicles. Through this RFI process, the MSP is interested in gaining information on available Towing Software Applications that may be utilized and integrated into current towing procedures.

Specifications:

Vendor Response Required to Each Item: No page limit.

Specifics:

• Software/Application should have seamless integration with all current MSP related software/applications.

• Software/Application should clearly present faster response times from Tow Service Providers against current requesting methods.

• Software/Application should clearly present a more streamlined/systematic request for a Tow.

• Software/Application should clearly present fair and equitable distributions of tows against current methods.

• Software/Application should clearly present a user-friendly workflow that can be accessed via mobile phone, MDT (laptop) and desktop computers.

• Software/Application should clearly demonstrate how utilization will simplify communication between MSP and TSPs against current methods.

• Software/Application should clearly demonstrate ease of use and overall value for contracted MSP Tow Service Providers.

• Software/Application should clearly demonstrate and address utilization in varying cellular service areas across the Commonwealth.

• Software/Application should clearly demonstrate MSP administrative oversight and review for all towing related activity contained therein.

Pricing Considerations:

Vendor Response Required: No page limit.

This section is focused on fiscal transparency and potential price structures.

The Department will require in any future RFR that may result from this RFI process that an awarded Contractor operate a contract pursuant to a fiscal structure that achieves fiscal transparency, with full reporting and accountability to the MSP.

The achievement of fiscal transparency requires that responding vendors to this RFI explain their pricing structure for the outlined products and services. Please provide as much specific information as possible on the price of the towing software/application. Pricing information and considerations should be provided in a straightforward and concise manner.

Section C. Response Format

The Department requests that all responses be submitted with a point-by-point response to each item in Section A and B above where “Vendor Response Required” is indicated. Please note:

Vendors electing not to respond to an item or section should state the vendor is “electing not to respond to the section”.

Section D. Vendor Product Demonstrations

Following receipt of the RFI responses, the Department intends to schedule product demonstrations with the some or all the responding vendors. Selected vendors who are asked to participate in product demonstrations will be expected to prioritize this in their schedules. The Department may elect to hold product demonstrations in-person at the MSP General Headquarters building located in Framingham, MA and/or elect to hold these meetings virtually through Microsoft TEAMS or Zoom conference. The Department will contact vendors to schedule.

Informal meetings may be incorporated into the RFI process where groups of current and potential vendors, along with Department staff, may ask each other questions and discuss potential issues.

Therefore, questions from RFI respondents regarding current MSP related software/applications, current MSP involuntary towing requesting methods, etc., may be asked by vendors at the product demonstration meetings. The Department is under no obligation to address all vendor questions.

Section E. Additional Information

Please note that an RFI is a procurement planning tool and not a procurement. Participation in the RFI process cannot and is not a prerequisite to submitting a response to a future RFR.

All responses and other documents submitted in response to this RFI become the property of the Massachusetts Department of State Police, and the Department is under no obligation to return any documents submitted by vendors.

All responses to this RFI will be public record under the Commonwealth’s Public Records Law, MGL C66 §10, regardless of any confidentiality notices to the contrary that are set forth by vendors and on vendor documents.

By submitting a response, vendors agree that any cost incurred in responding to this RFI, or in support of activities associated with this RFI, shall be the sole responsibility of the vendor. MSP shall not be held responsible for any costs incurred by vendors in preparing their respective responses to this RFI.

This RFI creates no obligation on the part of MSP or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to any vendor.

MSP is under no obligation to incorporate any materials, comments, or recommendations made in an RFI submission into any future MSP RFR document. MSP will not answer any questions about the anticipated future RFR solicitation. RFI responders are solely responsible to monitor the www.commbuys.com site for a future RFR solicitation posting, if any.

http://www.commbuys.com/