Request_for_Information-GenAI_Procurement_Tools_2-5-25.pdf

11-20-13 RFI

STATE OF TENNESSEE

FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION - STS

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

FOR

GENERATIVE AI PROCUREMENT TOOLS

RFI # 31701-03588

2/5/2025

1. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE:

The State of Tennessee, Finance & Administration – Strategic Technology Solutions issues this Request for Information (“RFI”) for the purpose of identifying potential GenAI procurement tools beneficial to State of Tennessee procurement professionals. We appreciate your input and participation in this process.

2. BACKGROUND:

The state is seeking to leverage the power of Generative AI to modernize and enhance our procurement processes. We are looking for innovative and sophisticated GenAI Procurement Tools that can assist our procurement professionals in streamlining contract scope definition, automating RFP generation, and efficiently analyzing vendor responses. This initiative aims to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and effectiveness of our procurement operations while reducing manual effort and minimizing potential risks.

3. COMMUNICATIONS:

3.1. Please submit your response to this RFI to:

Chris Romaine, MBA | Contract Specialist 901 Rep. John Lewis Way North, Nashville, TN 37243 Cell: 615-913-2407 Christopher.Romaine@tn.gov

3.2. Please feel free to contact the Finance & Administration with any questions regarding this

RFI. The main point of contact will be:

mailto:Christopher.Romaine@tn.gov

Chris Romaine, MBA | Contract Specialist 901 Rep. John Lewis Way North, Nashville, TN 37243 Cell: 615-913-2407 Christopher.Romaine@tn.gov

3.3. Please reference RFI # 31701-03588 with all communications to this RFI.

4. RFI SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

EVENT

TIME

(Central Time Zone)

DATE

(all dates are State business days)

1. RFI Issued 2/5/2025

2.

Vendor Questions Due

2:00 PM 2/20/2025

3.

State Response to Vendor Questions Due

3/12/2025

4. RFI Response Deadline 2:00 PM 3/28/2025

5. Complete Review of Responses 4/11/2025

6. Schedule Demo Sessions 4/17/2025

7. Conduct Virtual Demos / Q&A Sessions 4/28/2025 – 4/30/2025

5. GENERAL INFORMATION:

5.1. Please note that responding to this RFI is not a prerequisite for responding to any future solicitations related to this project and a response to this RFI will not create any contract rights. Responses to this RFI will become property of the State.

5.2. The information gathered during this RFI is part of an ongoing procurement. In order to prevent an unfair advantage among potential respondents, the RFI responses will not be available until after the completion of evaluation of any responses, proposals, or bids resulting from a Request for Qualifications, Request for Proposals, Invitation to Bid or other procurement method. In the event that the state chooses not to go further in the procurement process and responses are never evaluated, the responses to the procurement including the responses to the RFI, will be considered confidential by the State.

5.3. The State will not pay for any costs associated with responding to this RFI.

mailto:Christopher.Romaine@tn.gov

5.4. Any services or products proposed in this RFI, must be in compliance with the following security policy: all State data must remain in the United States, regardless of whether the data is processed, stored, in-transit, or at rest. Access to State data shall be limited to US-based (onshore) resources only. Configuration or development of software and code is permitted outside of the United States, however, software applications designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied by persons owned or controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of, a foreign adversary, which the U.S. Secretary of Commerce acting pursuant to 15 C.F.R. 7 has defined to include the People's Republic of China, among others are prohibited. Any testing of code outside of the United States must use fake data. A copy of production data may not be transmitted or used outside the United States.

5.5. The State may request oral presentations from RFI respondents.

5.6. This RFI may proceed to a Proof of Concept (POC) phase. A limited number of vendors may be selected to participate in the POC phase based on their initial responses. The POC phase will allow selected vendors to demonstrate the capabilities of their GenAI Procurement Tools in a real-world or simulated environment relevant to our specific procurement needs.

6. INFORMATIONAL FORMS:

The State is requesting the following information from all interested parties. Please fill out the following forms:

RFI #31701-03588

TECHNICAL INFORMATIONAL FORM

1. RESPONDENT LEGAL ENTITY NAME:

2. RESPONDENT CONTACT PERSON:

Name, Title:

Address:

Phone Number:

Email:

3. Provide a statement about your experience providing similar scope of services/products to public entities preferred.

4. Provide a summary of your experience in the AI/ML space, specifically with generative AI.

5. Describe your team's expertise in procurement, contract law, and AI as it relates to public procurement.

6. Provide details on the qualifications and experience of key personnel involved in the development and support of your GenAI procurement tools.

7. List 1-3 key customers who are currently using your GenAI procurement tools. Public entity customers preferred but not limited to.

If possible, provide contact information for these references.

8. How does your tool assist in defining, refining, and crafting clear and concise contract scopes?

• Does it support the use of templates, best practices, and industry standards?

• Can it identify potential risks and ambiguities in contract scopes?

9. How does your tool streamline the RFP creation process?

• Can it assist with creating technical questions for respondents to answer during the RFP process.

• Can it assist with creating cost structures/methodologies for respondents to respond to during the RFP process.

10. How does your tool help analyze vendor RFP responses?

• Can it identify key information, compare bids, and score proposals?

• Does it provide insights and recommendations to decision-makers?

11. Explain the specific AI/ML models and techniques used in your tools.

• What languages are utilized in your tool for example Natural Language Processing (NLP), Optical Character Recognition (OCR), etc.?

12. How does your tool enhance accuracy, efficiency, and decision-making in the procurement process?

13. Describe the training data used for your AI models and how it ensures fairness, accuracy, and bias mitigation.

14. What existing procurement systems and platforms does your tool integrate with (e.g., ERP, eProcurement platforms)?

15. Is your solution cloud-based, on-premise, or a hybrid model?

• Describe the deployment process and timelines.

• What level of customization and configuration is available?

16. What training and support services are included in the solution?

• Will you provide ongoing support and maintenance?

• What are your service level agreements (SLAs) for response times and resolution?

17. What makes your solution unique and innovative compared to competitors?

18. What are your plans for future development and enhancements to your GenAI procurement tools?

19. How do you see the future of AI in procurement evolving, and how will your solution adapt to these changes?

20. What is the estimated implementation timeline for your proposed solution, please include discovery, design, UAT testing and go-live estimates at a minimum? What resources and time commitment expectations would be expected of the State for successful implementation?

21. What security measures does your proposed solution provide to ensure that confidential/sensitive state data is secure?

• How does the solution adapt to new security threats over time?

• What encryption and/or security protocols does it utilize?

• What threat detection capabilities does it utilize if any?

• In regard to threat detection does it automate any response if a threat is detected?

22. In your experience, what will be potential challenges to implementing a GenAI procurement tool? Please include any suggested mitigation strategies.

23. How do you incorporate State policies and standards into your GenAI procurement solution?

24. Describe your release management process for updates, current releases, maintenance, and customizations required for compliance with federal and state law. What are your communication methods for maintenance, support, and system updates? Will you use business partners for maintenance and support?

25. Through which public sector cooperative purchasing agreements can you currently provide these services? (OMNIA, NASPO, GSA, etc.)

26. What if any additional agreements will the State have to sign in order to procure your solution i.e. End User License Agreement (EULA)? If applicable, please provide a PDF version of the agreement.

27. If selected, is your company willing to participate in a Proof of Concept (POC) phase to further demonstrate the capabilities of your GenAI Procurement Tools? Please confirm your availability and willingness to dedicate the necessary resources for the POC.

• What timeframe would you propose for the POC phase? (how long would you suggest the State to use the tool to see its potential value?)

• Would you offer the POC at no cost to the state?

COST INFORMATIONAL FORM

1. Describe what pricing units you typically utilize for similar services or goods (e.g., per hour, each, etc.:

2. Describe your pricing model (e.g., subscription, usage-based, perpetual license).

3. Are there any tiered pricing options based on usage volume or features?

4. What are the costs associated with implementation, training, and ongoing support?

Describe what services are billed hourly/daily (e.g. project change requests, customizations, configuration management) Describe typical range for hourly/daily rates by resource, if applicable.

5. Licensing Terms: Are there any limitations on usage, data storage, or number of users?

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

1. Please provide input on alternative approaches or additional things to consider that might benefit the State: