RFI-DBPR-07-25-26 ABT Lottery Drawing Final.pdf

Department of Business and Professional Regulation Division of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco

Request for Information Double Blind Drawing Software for New Alcoholic Beverage Licenses

RFI-DBPR-07-25/26

Refer ALL Inquiries to:

Ashley Strickland, Procurement Officer

Department of Business and Professional Regulation 2601 Blair Stone Road

Attention: Agency Services, Contracts and Procurement Section Tallahassee, FL 32399-0950

Procurement@MyFloridaLicense.com

Pursuant to rule 60A-1.042, Florida Administrative Code (“F.A.C.”), an agency may request information by issuing a written Request for Information (“RFI”). Agencies may use Requests for Information in circumstances including, but not limited to, determining whether to competitively procure a commodity or contractual services, determining what solicitation process to use for a specific need, or researching general, special, and/or technical specifications for a solicitation. The sole purpose of this RFI is to obtain information from the vendor community.

The Department is not seeking bids or proposals, and no contract award will result from this RFI.

mailto:Procurement@MyFloridaLicense.com

I. INTRODUCTION

The Department of Business and Professional Regulation (“Department”) is issuing this Request for Information (“RFI”) to the vendor community to obtain information on a double-blind drawing software for the issuance of new quota alcoholic beverage licenses. This RFI aims to identify potential partners capable of delivering a secure, transparent, and auditable system that meets statutory requirements and ensures fairness in the quota drawing process.

This is an RFI as defined in section 287.012(22), Florida Statutes (“F.S.”), for planning purposes only.

This is not a solicitation for offers. The information gathered from this RFI may be used to develop a future solicitation. Please monitor the MyFloridaMarketPlace (“MFMP”) Vendor Information Portal for any changes or notices prior to submitting a response.

II. PURPOSE OF A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Rule 60A-1.042, F.A.C., provides that an agency may request information by issuing a written RFI.

Agencies are authorized to use an RFI in circumstances including, but not limited to, determining whether to competitively procure a commodity or contractual services, determining what solicitation process to use for a specific need, or researching general, special, and/or technical specifications for a solicitation.

A vendor’s response to an RFI is not an offer and the agency may not use the vendor’s submission to justify a contract with that vendor without otherwise complying with Chapter 287, F.S. and rule 60A- 1.042, F.A.C. Vendors submitting a response to an agency’s RFI are not prohibited from responding to any related subsequent solicitation. Any future purchase of the commodity or service will be conducted in accordance with applicable law. The Vendor’s response to this RFI may be used to prepare future solicitations and may result in subsequent vendor meetings.

III. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Pursuant to section 287.056(2), Florida Statutes, the Department intends to purchase a software solution for use by the Division to conduct double blind drawings in accordance with section 561.19, Florida Statutes, and rule 61A-5, Florida Administrative Code, to determine persons eligible to apply for new quota alcoholic beverage licenses.

A “quota license” is a type of alcoholic beverage license that allows vendors to sell beer, wine, and liquor without significant restriction in Florida. The number of quota licenses are limited, as only one quota license may be issued for every 7,500 people residing in each county.

In order to issue a new quota license, the Division holds an annual public drawing to determine which winning entrants will have the right to apply for a new quota license in each county where a license is available. There is no limit to the number of entrants for each county, however, a person may only submit one entry per county. Each county may have a different number of licenses available depending on the county’s population growth. The drawing is a double random selection in accordance with section 561.19, Florida Statutes, and rule 61A-5, Florida Administrative Code.

Quota drawing winners win the right to apply for a quota license within 45 days of the drawing. If a winner fails to timely apply or fails to meet the minimum qualifications for licensure, the Division will move on to the next winning entrant drawn, until all quota licenses have been issued.

The Division currently uses an air-driven electric lottery machine to draw random balls which become the random seed number for the double random selection.

The Department seeks software that meets the specifications provided within the Scope of Work which will allow the Division to fully conduct double blind drawings in accordance with section 561.19, Florida Statutes and rule 61A-5, Florida Administrative Code to determine entrants eligible to apply for new quota alcoholic beverage licenses.

IV. GOALS

The Department is seeking information from vendors regarding double-blind drawing software solutions to support the issuance of new quota alcoholic beverage licenses. This initiative aligns with the Division’s broader efforts to enhance operational integrity, strengthen public trust and modernize our licensing practices. We are particularly interested in platforms that offer automated randomized, verifiable audit trails, applicant-specific anonymity, configurable business rules, and robust security features that prevent manipulation or bias.

The Department is seeking information on software platforms and associated services that can support the quota drawing workflow access to the following domains:

Domain 1: Randomization & Drawing Capabilities

1. System must support up to 67 double- random drawings

a. One drawing per county where a quota license is available

b. Must be capable of performing drawings at least annually

2. Randomization Requirements

a. Generate a random seed number.

b. Run the drawing using that random seed number

Domain 2: Input, Data Ingestion & entry Management

1. Must allow the Department to input:

a. Eligible counties

b. Number of available licenses per county, per drawing

2. Must allow the import of 10,000 entry applications from an external system via file transfer

3. Must provide a ranked list of entrants for each county in the order of the double-random drawing

Domain 3: Presentation, Animation & Public Transparency The system must provide a customizable video-style presentation or animated sequence of the double-random drawing for each county, including:

1. Welcome message for the viewing audience prior to the drawing

2. List of available licenses and associated countries

3. Count of total entries for each county

4. Animated visualization of the drawing based on the random seed number

5. Slide or screen listing winners for each county

6. A final statewide map view showing the county-by-county results and names of the winners

7. A final report of winners for all counties for posting on the Department’s website

8. Confidential report that includes all entrants and their rank after the drawing (for Department use only)

Domain 4: User experience & Interface Requirements

1. Must provide easy-to-understand, intuitive user interfaces

2. Must offer simple navigation for running drawings, loading data, presenting results, and exporting reports

Domain 5: Security, Access Control and System Integrity

1. Must include a robust user management system allowing the Department to control:

a. Access

b. User permissions

c. Account management

2. Must provide security features such as:

a. Authentication controls

b. Password policies

c. Two-factor authentication

d. Single sign on

3. If the solution is cloud-based:

a. Must describe anti-tamper security features

b. Must be air-gapped from external systems during required phases of the drawing

4. If the solution is on-premises:

a. Must provide installation of three air-gapped copies for production, testing and backup

Domain 6: System Continuity, Support and Compliance

1. Must include a disaster recovery plan and system security plan

2. Must include future software development and support services, as needed

3. Must provide certification that each drawing is a double-random drawing in accordance with:

a. Section 561.19, Florida Statutes, and

b. Rule 61A-5, Florida Administrative Code

c. Certification must be delivered within 30 calendar days of the Department’s written request

V. RESPONSE FORMAT

In order to gather relevant information to determine whether to competitively procure and the appropriate method of procurement for double blind drawing software and/or other similar services, the Department is requesting that vendors provide the following information:

1. Company Contact Information

a. Primary Contact

b. Address

c. Phone

d. Email

2. Company Overview

3. Description of Platform and Proposed Solution - Vendor should provide a description of their platform and proposed solution, including how it generally addresses the needs outlined in this RFI. Responses should include, at a minimum, the following information:

a. An overview of the software solutions and its key functionality, including how it supports the Department’s intended use.

b. A general description of software performance, availability and reliability and reliability standards typically offered (e.g. uptime targets, maintenance windows).

c. A general description of training and customer support offerings, including initial onboarding and ongoing support options.

d. An overview of training services typically provided, including formats (e.g. Virtual, in-person, self-guided and ongoing training availability).

e. An overview of the vendor’s disaster recovery and business continuity approach.

f. A description of the methodology or controls used to support and verify a double-random drawing process, where applicable.

4. Identify any cooperative purchasing agreements or state term contracts where the solution may be purchased. State term contracts and cooperative purchasing agreements can be found at https://www.dms.myflorida.com/business_operations/state_purchasing/state_contracts_and_a greements

5. Pricing models and cost structures (e.g. one-time fees, subscriptions), implementation cost, support services, disaster recovery plan, ongoing cost post implementation, training, certification of drawings and vendor’s terms and conditions.

*PLEASE NOTE: Any submitted material is subject to the Public Records Act, Chapter 119, F.S.

VI. PROCESS

Responses to this RFI will be reviewed by the Department for information purposes only and will not result in the award of a contract.

https://www.dms.myflorida.com/business_operations/state_purchasing/state_contracts_and_agreements https://www.dms.myflorida.com/business_operations/state_purchasing/state_contracts_and_agreements

VII. SCHEDULE

The following schedule applies to this RFI.

Event Due Date

1. RFI released to Vendors December 16, 2025

2. Vendors questions due to Procurement Officer via email to:

Procurement@MyFloridaLicense.com January 9, 2026

3. Anticipated answers to questions January 14, 2026

4. Vendors’ responses due via email to:

Procurement@MyFloridaLicense.com February 11, 2026 @ 12:00 PM ET

VIII. CHANGES TO THE RFI

DBPR will post addenda to the RFI to the Florida Vendor Information Portal at MyFloridaMarket Place Vendor Information Portal. The Vendor may view addenda by selecting “Department of Business and Professional Regulation” in the “Agency” drop down box. Each vendor is responsible for monitoring the VIP for new or changing information.

IX. QUESTIONS

Vendor questions must be submitted in writing to the specified Procurement Officer at Procurement@MyFloridaLicense.com by January 9, 2026 by 5:00 PM ET. Responses to written questions will be posted on VIP as noted on the timeline.

X. CONFIDENTIAL, PROPRIETARY, OR TRADE SECRET INFORMATION

If vendor considers any portion of the documents, data or records submitted in response to this RFI to be confidential, proprietary, trade secret or otherwise not subject to disclosure pursuant to Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, the Florida Constitution or other authority, vendor must mark the document as “Confidential” and simultaneously provide the Department with a separate redacted copy of its response and briefly describe in writing the grounds for claiming exemption from the public records law, including the specific statutory citation for such exemption. This redacted copy shall contain the Department’s RFI name, number, and the name of the vendor on the cover, and shall be clearly titled “Redacted Copy.” The redacted copy should only redact those portions of material that the vendor claims are confidential, proprietary, trade secret or otherwise not subject to disclosure.

In the event of a request for public records pursuant to Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, the Florida Constitution or other authority, to which documents that are marked as confidential are responsive, the Department will provide the redacted copy to the requestor. If a requestor asserts a right to the Confidential Information, the Department will notify the vendor such an assertion has been made. It is the vendor’s responsibility to assert that the information in question is exempt from disclosure under mailto:Procurement@MyFloridaLicense.com mailto:Procurement@MyFloridaLicense.com https://vendor.myfloridamarketplace.com/search/bids https://vendor.myfloridamarketplace.com/search/bids chapter 119 or other applicable law. If the Department becomes subject to a demand for discovery or disclosure of the Confidential Information of the vendor in a legal proceeding, the Department shall give the vendor prompt notice of the demand prior to releasing the information (unless otherwise prohibited by applicable law). The vendor shall be responsible for defending its determination that the redacted portions of its response are confidential, proprietary, trade secret, or otherwise not subject to disclosure.

By submitting a response, the vendor agrees to protect, defend, and indemnify the Department for any and all claims arising from or relating to the vendor’s determination that the redacted portions of its response are confidential, proprietary, trade secret, or otherwise not subject to disclosure. If vendor fails to submit a redacted copy of information it claims is confidential, the Department is authorized to produce the entire documents, data, or records submitted to the Department in answer to a public records request for these records.

XI. VENDOR COSTS

Vendors are responsible for all costs associated with the preparation, submission, and any potential meeting to discuss this RFI. The Department will not be responsible for any vendor-related costs associated with responding to this request.

XII. PROCUREMENT OFFICER

The sole point of contact for all communications regarding this RFI is:

Ashley Strickland 2601 Blair Stone Road Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation Tallahassee, Florida 32399 Email: Procurement@MyFloridaLicense.com

XIII. SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS

Any person with a disability requiring special accommodations to participate in the RFI shall contact the Department contact person at the phone number above at least five working days prior to the submission deadline for Questions and/or Responses. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact this office by using the Florida Relay Services which can be reached at 1 (800) 955-8771

(TDD).

Certified Business Enterprises are encouraged to participate in the RFI process.