RFI_Amendment_1_Pest_Cert.pdf

This is an Amendment #1 to Request for Information (RFI) #32505-00126 issued by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture regarding pesticide certification and licensure contract administration. The RFI seeks information on remote exam administration services, including scheduling, applicant eligibility verification, secure exam material handling, test security, privacy protections, accessibility accommodations, recordkeeping, and regulatory compliance. The vendor must provide 24/7/365 testing availability across multiple locations, develop secure API integration with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture's CoreOne system, and support multilingual exam administration with appropriate accessibility features. The written questions and comments deadline is July 20, 2026, with the State providing responses by July 27, 2026. The RFI response deadline is August 7, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Central Time. Responses must be submitted using the Tennessee Department of Agriculture's Technical Informational Form, Cost Informational Form, and Additional Considerations form to Lori Holt.

The amendment confirms and updates the RFI schedule of events, with all revisions effective upon release. Examination results must be transmitted to the State through automated electronic transfer, SFTP, API integration, encrypted email, or secure web portals. The vendor must comply with Tennessee's mandated maximum exam fees of $25 for certification exams and $150 for licensing exams, with transparent fee-collection procedures and clear refund policies. Data security is a critical qualification requirement, requiring vendors to describe encryption practices, user authentication controls, cybersecurity standards, and incident response protocols. Vendors must also outline policies and procedures for detecting and preventing unethical testing practices, including identity verification methods, proctoring approaches, and monitoring tools. All other terms and conditions of the original RFI remain in full force and effect unless expressly amended herein.