RFI_2025-14_Student_Communication_System.pdf

RFI 2025-14

Request for Information (RFI 2025-14)

STUDENT COMMUNICATION SYSTEM (CHATBOT/CALL CENTER)

Valencia College, herein referred to as “College”, located in Orlando Florida, is requesting information from suppliers regarding the ability of your software/system to meet the business objectives and requirements listed herein.

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) AS DEFINED IN SECTION 287.012 (22),

FLORIDA STATUTES. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes. It does not constitute or promise to issue a formal solicitation (Request for Proposal (RFP) or Invitation to Negotiate (ITN)) in the future.

The College will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested respondent’s expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP or ITN, if any is issued.

If a solicitation is released, it will be advertised on the Procurement’s website via VendorLink, http://valenciacollege.edu/procurement/bids.cfm. It is the responsibility of the interested supplier to register on the site mentioned above; as well as, monitor the site for any potential formal solicitations.

Companies that are interested in this project and feel that they have the capabilities to meet or exceed the listed requirements are asked to submit information in the following format to the College. The College will use the information supplied from potential suppliers to determine if sufficient service exists to warrant issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) or Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) to formally select a supplier for a contract to provide the services or to informally issue a Quote Request (QR).

All responses are due no later than April 10, 2025, at 10:00 AM.

All communication and contact regarding this RFI must be directed via email to the Procurement Department Official and Point of Contact listed below or to the Valencia Procurement Departments main email address at ValenciaProcurement@valenciacollege.edu.

Christy Colgan | Director, Procurement

Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing via VendorLink prior to the Question cutoff date, April 3, 2025, at 10:00 AM. Replies to questions will be posted in VendorLink or via an addendum posted in VendorLink.

http://valenciacollege.edu/procurement/bids.cfm mailto:ValenciaProcurement@valenciacollege.edu

I. INTRODUCTION

Valencia College is seeking information from suppliers on chatbot and AI-driven communication solutions to enhance student support. The ideal solution would effectively address student questions and concerns while seamlessly escalating unresolved inquiries to a human agent. This escalation should integrate with the college’s existing call center software and structure or provide an alternative solution for direct student communication.

Additionally, the proposed solution may include an outsourced model for handling student inquiries via chatbot, AI, or phone.

II. PURPOSE

This RFI requests information regarding the selection and implementation of a comprehensive student communication solution that would both support prospective and current students. The College is looking for ideas that will provide solutions to meet the business objectives and requirements listed herein.

Business Objectives:

BO 001 Identify and implement an intuitive, user-friendly, and well-supported communication solution that answers most student questions and concerns through chatbots, agents, or other automated software applications.

BO 002 Create an escalation process in the software applications that connect students with a college or vendor employee when questions cannot be answered through automated responses.

BO 003 Support objectives BO 001 and BO 002 for prospective and existing students.

BO 004 Increase the proportion of student questions and requests for information that are successfully answered.

BO 005 Increase the number of completed student applications and enrollments.

BO 006 Increase levels of student retention, persistence, graduation rates, and transfer success rates.

BO 007 Decrease overall operational spending on communication, specifically the cost of operating the College’s current call center.

Listed below are key software products currently utilized by the College and their general function:

Application Primary User/Office General Function Banner College-wide ERP system

TargetX Recruiting/Admissions/International Student

Services/ Continuing Education

CRM/Student Success Coaching

CAPP / Degree Works

Student Success Coaching/Records & Graduation

Academic Planning & Degree Completion Verification

Who’s Next Student Success Coaching/Answer Center/First Stop

Queuing / Appointment Scheduling

Blackboard Connect and RAVE

Marketing/Communications/Security/Enrollment Services

Student Texting & Messaging/Robocalling

PureCloud Enrollment Services/Help Desk/Contact Center Phone / Call Center

Pathify (MyVC)

Student Portal / Engagement Hub Student Portal

MS Office O365 College-wide Email, Collaboration, etc.

NOTE: The communications applications must have the ability to interface with current systems, if deemed necessary, or to replace the functions of current systems.

III. BACKGROUND OF VALENCIA COLLEGE

Valencia College is a public college located in Orange and Osceola counties, Florida, that has provided a high quality, contemporary education to a large and diverse community since 1967. The College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, diplomas, and certificates. The College serves more than 70,000 students each academic year and has eight (8) primary campuses located in Kissimmee, Lake Nona, Orlando, Poinciana, and Winter Park. The College is the second largest of Florida’s 28 community colleges in student enrollment. Valencia’s tuition is half that of a state university and is the lowest public college tuition in Central Florida.

Number of students enrolled: Approximately 74,000 in the 2024-25 academic year Faculty & Staff: 4,970

Additional Information: About Valencia College https://valenciacollege.edu/about/facts.php

IV. INFORMATION REQUESTED:

Please keep in mind that both technical and nontechnical staff at the College will be reviewing information submitted in response to this RFI. As such, please construct your responses in a plain, clear, and concise manner. Please organize responses as follows:

A. COMPANY INFORMATION: Use EXHIBIT A

B. SUPPLIER QUALIFICATIONS:

Provide a maximum two-page overview of your company’s qualification and experience in an AI assisted technology platform to respond to student inquiries.

C. REFERENCES: Use EXHIBIT B Please provide a minimum of three (3) of the most significant projects performed within the last five (5) years. References shall be of similar projects that are implemented beyond the Beta stage.

D. SOFTWARE/MODULES AND SERVICES

1. Provide the product name(s) and active version(s) that your Company offers which would meet the needs identified in this RFI. If your response refers to third-party products that support additional functionality or extended capabilities, please specifically name them.

2. Describe your Company’s solution, and clearly identify the application software modules, add-ons e.g. utilities/tools/report generators, underlying technology and third-party applications that will meet our requirements.

3. Provide high-level perspectives related to solution project factors such as: cost, cost methodology, timelines, resource needs, and implementation sequence/approach considerations.

4. Please identify any business intelligence and reporting capabilities, which are part of your solution and could be used to help us improve performance measurement reporting.

5. Briefly explain how you would assist the College in overcoming business process standardization and data migration issues related to this project. Note, this may include processes for integrating current systems, refining business processes and implementation models.

6. Please indicate whether your company offers a site-hosted and/or web-based solution. Provide any additional services your company offers, e.g., IT Help Desk, Service Support Teams to assist clients with fast response to production issues

7. Provide the name of software products and/or services that are available via any State of Florida or other Educational Institution contract?

8. How long has the company offered the solution?

9. What is the future company vision of the proposed solution?

10. What is the company’s percentage of market share for the proposed solution relative to its competitors?

E. COMPANY’S IMPLEMENTATION APPROACH:

1. Provide high-level observations of potential problems/risks that the College may encounter during this project. Include risk mitigation strategies that similar organizations have successfully implemented.

2. Estimate the number of College personnel (FTEs) that could be required to implement your product(s).

3. Describe how your company would implement a solution and balance risk and system benefits.

F. TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION:

1. Provide architectural diagrams of the company’s proposed solution. Describe the solution’s platform and list the application development tool available.

2. Describe how your product supports compliance and audit activities. Also, include information about the use of firewalls, digital certificates, and encryption.

G. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

In this section, the College invites comments, suggestions, recommendations, and creative ideas on what make your company and product/service unique, and welcomes submission of white papers, market brochures, case studies, and URL web links and other supporting information.

V. SUBMITTAL OF INFORMATION:

A. Electronic Submittal:

1. In order to submit information electronically, company and/or individual must be registered on the VendorLink website at:

https://valenciacollege.edu/employees/procurement/suppliers.php.

2. Electronic submittals of information will only be accepted via VendorLink. Do not email.

3. Files submitted must be formatted and enabled for printing.

4. Company may withdraw, alter, and resubmit their information through VendorLink at any time prior to the due date and time.

5. VendorLink will not accept any document submission after the due date and time.

6. In the event of technical difficulties in submitting information, company’s and/or individuals should contact VendorLink support at support@evendorlink.com.

https://valenciacollege.edu/employees/procurement/suppliers.php mailto:support@evendorlink.com

7. Valencia College may request clarifications and additional information after submission.

VI. CALENDAR OF EVENTS:

Listed below are the important actions and dates/times by which the actions must be taken or completed. Any change or modification to this calendar, modifications to this RFI, or other important notices will be posted via an addendum on VendorLink. It is the company’s responsibility to monitor the website for any postings.

Action: Date/Time:

RFI Broadcasted on VendorLink March 12, 2025

Cut-off date for Questions submitted by Proposers April 3, 2025; 10:00 AM

Electronic Submissions of Information DUE April 10, 2025; 10:00 AM

VII. RESPONSES SUBMITTED ARE PUBLIC RECORD:

1. Information received in response to this Request for Information are exempt from disclosure under the provisions of Florida’s Public Records Laws until such time as an award decision has been made known or until thirty (30) days after the Proposal opening, whichever is earlier.

2. In accordance with Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes (Public Records Law) and except as may be provided by other applicable State and Federal Law, all Companies should be aware the Solicitation and the responses thereto are in the public domain. Proposers must identify specifically any information contained in their submittal which they consider confidential and/or proprietary and which they believe to be exempt from disclosure, citing specifically the applicable exempting law.

3. A generic notation that information is “confidential” is not sufficient. Failure to provide the Procurement Department Office with a detailed explanation and justification including statutory cites and specific reference to your submittal detailing what provisions, if any, you believe are exempt from disclosure, may result in your entire submittal being subject to disclosure in accordance with Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes.

4. All submittal received from Companies in response to this Solicitation will become the property of the College and will not be returned to the Company.

EXHIBIT A

COMPANY INFORMATION

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY:

Name:

FEIN:

Contact Name & Title:

Mailing Address:

City, State, ZIP Code:

Phone Number:

Email:

Website:

Company Area(s) of Expertise:

Length of time Company has been in existence:

Authorized Signature:

EXHIBIT B

REFERENCES

Company shall submit, as a part of the RFI package, a minimum of three (3) of the most significant projects performed within the last five (5) years. Additional references may be provided as set forth below.

Project #1:

Project Name:

Type of Project/Service:

Address:

Contracting Agency/Client:

Contact Name and Phone #:

Contact Email Address and Fax #:

Contract Amount: Date Work Performed:

Scope of Services Performed:

Project #2:

Project Name:

Type of Project/Service:

Address:

Contracting Agency/Client:

Contact Name and Phone #:

Contact Email Address and Fax #:

Contract Amount: Date Work Performed:

Scope of Services Performed:

Project #3:

Project Name:

Type of Project/Service:

Address:

Contracting Agency/Client:

Contact Name and Phone #:

Contact Email Address and Fax #:

Contract Amount: Date Work Performed:

Scope of Services Performed: