RFI 26-87669 Main Document.pdf

Request for Information/Innovation, Page 1 of 2

STATE OF INDIANA

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION/INNOVATION 26-87669

INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION

ON BEHALF OF THE

INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

SOLICITATION FOR:

HOOSIER LAUNCH ADVISING TOOL PLATFORM

RESPONSE DUE DATE:

JULY 27, 2026

Nicole McClain, Procurement Specialist Indiana Department of Administration

Procurement Division 402 W. Washington St., Room W478

Indianapolis, Indiana 46204

Request for Information/Innovation, Page 2 of 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE OF THE RFI

RESPONSE FORMAT AND ATTACHMENTS

RFI TIMELINE

QUESTION / INQUIRY PROCESS

CLARIFICATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS

CONFIDENTIALITY

RESPONSE SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Request for Information/Innovation, Page 3 of 4

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION/INNOVATION 26-87669

INTRODUCTION

This is a Request for Information/Innovation (RFI) issued by the Indiana Department of Administration (IDOA) on behalf of the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) regarding the Hoosier Launch Advising Tool Platform.

It is the intent of IDOA to solicit responses to this RFI in accordance with the specifications contained in this document and associated attachments. Neither this RFI nor any response (proposal) submitted hereto is to be construed as a legal offer.

THE STATE MAY ELECT TO LIMIT PARTICIPATION IN ANY FUTURE COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION TO

VENDORS THAT RESPOND TO THIS RFI.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE OF THE RFI

Refer to Attachment E Hoosier Launch SOW for information regarding the required services being requested by Indiana Department of Education.

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to identify and better understand vendors capable of supporting Indiana’s educational institutions with platforms that help schools navigate the new Indiana high school diploma requirements, as well as associated career and advising pathways. The Indiana Department of Education intends to use the information collected through this RFI to develop a list of preferred state vendors.

In response to the new diploma requirements, IDOE is exploring solutions such as an interactive, statewide Career Advising Platform accessible to all students and schools. Such a platform should provide students with clear guidance on graduation pathways, career exploration, and postsecondary options. It should ensure continuity of information for students who change schools or pathways, preserving their accumulated credits, experiences, and progress.

Additionally, the platform should support school counselors and staff by streamlining the collection and reporting of student metrics, allowing them to focus more time on personalized career advising and coaching.

Workforce and industry partners should also be able to efficiently develop and promote work-based learning opportunities aligned to Indiana’s current and future labor market needs.

RESPONSE FORMAT AND ATTACHMENTS

Respondents should submit responses to the RFI, utilizing Attachment A, describing how they will meet the specific requirements of this RFI and the deliverables included within. All narrative responses must be provided to the State in Microsoft Word format. Respondents must structure their response according to the sections outlined below to facilitate the State’s review of the responses. THE TOTAL RESPONSE SHOULD NOT BE MORE

THAN 15-20 PAGES IN LENGTH.

If you would like to provide a response/feedback to this RFI for IDOE, you must provide your response to State as shown in the RFI Timeline and Response Submission section below.

RFI TIMELINE

The following timeline is only an illustration of this RFI process. The dates associated with each step are not to be considered binding.

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Anticipated RFI Dates:

Activity Date

Issuance of RFI June 25, 2026

Deadline to Submit Written Questions (3:00PM Eastern Time) July 2, 2026

Response to Written Questions/RFI Amendments July 9, 2026

Due Date for Submissions July 27, 2026

QUESTION / INQUIRY PROCESS

All questions/inquiries in regards to RFI 26-87669 must be submitted in writing via email using Attachment B, Questions and Answers Template, by the deadline of July 2, 2026, by 3:00PM ET to rfp@idoa.IN.gov. The email subject line should contain the following phrase:

“REQUEST FOR INFORMATION/INNOVATION 26-87669, QUESTION AND INQUIRIES.”

Following the question/inquiry due date, IDOA will compile a list of the questions/inquiries submitted by all Respondents. The responses will be posted to the IDOA website as soon as possible. Only answers posted on the IDOA website will be considered official and valid by the State. No Respondent shall rely upon, take any action, or make any decision based upon any verbal communication with any State employee.

Please note that Nicole McClain is the State’s single point of contact for this RFI. Inquiries are not to be directed to any other staff member of the IDOE. Such action may disqualify respondent from further consideration in this RFI and any subsequent RFP process.

If it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFI, or if additional information is necessary for a clearer interpretation of provisions of this RFI prior to the due date for submissions, an addendum will be posted on the IDOA website.

CLARIFICATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS

The State reserves the right to request clarifications on information submitted to the State. The State also reserves the right to conduct discussions, either oral or written, with the Respondents. These discussions could include requests for additional information, requests for cost information or technical requirements response attachment revision, etc. Additionally, in conducting discussions, the State may use information derived from the responses submitted by competing Respondents only if the identity of the Respondent providing the information is not disclosed to others. The State will provide equivalent information to all Respondents which have been chosen for discussions.

The Procurement Division will schedule all discussions. Any information gathered through oral discussions must be confirmed in writing.

CONFIDENTIALITY

It is important to note that all information submitted in Respondent’s proposals to this RFI will be kept confidential and will not be made available to the public unless this RFI does not result in the release of a solicitation at a later date. If a solicitation results from this RFI, then the information contained in the proposal submissions for this RFI must be made available to the public once the resulting solicitation has been awarded and the protest period has ended.

mailto:rfp@idoa.IN.gov

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Respondents are advised that materials contained in proposals are subject to the Access to Public Records Act (APRA), IC 5-14-3 et seq., and, after award, the entire solicitation file may be viewed and copied by any member of the public, including news agencies and competitors.

Please note citing “Confidential” on an entire section is not sufficient. The Public Access Counselor (PAC) provides guidance on APRA. Respondents are encouraged to read guidance from the PAC on this topic as this is the guidance IDOA follows:

• 18-INF-06; Redaction of Public Procurement Documents Informal Inquiry

Respondents claiming a statutory exception to the APRA must indicate so on a separate attachment labeled “Confidential Documentation Listing”. That document should include the following information:

• List all documents where claiming a statutory exemption to the APRA;

• Specify which statutory exception of APRA that applies for each document;

• Provide a description explaining the manner in which the statutory exception to the APRA applies for each document.

When claiming confidential information, respondents should submit two versions of their response:

1) A confidential version (for the State’s review and evaluation)

a. Confidential Information must be clearly marked in a separate folder.

2) A redacted version (for public records requests)

If the Respondent does not identify the statutory exception, the Procurement Division will not consider the submission confidential. The State also reserves the right to seek the opinion of the PAC for guidance if the State has doubts the cited exception is applicable.

Prices are NOT confidential information.

RESPONSE SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Firms interested in providing information to IDOA should submit responses via email to rfp@idoa.IN.gov. All responses must be received no later than July 27, 2026, by 3:00PM ET. The subject line of the email submission must clearly state the following:

“RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION/INNOVATION 26-87669”

Any information received after the due date and time may not be considered.

No more than one proposal per Respondent may be submitted.

Templates outlined in this document should be returned in their native file format.

The State accepts no obligations for costs incurred by Respondents in anticipation of being awarded a contract.

https://www.in.gov/pac/informal/files/18-INF-06.pdf mailto:rfp@idoa.IN.gov