RFP 2025-0282 - User Interface - OIT.pdf

Request for Proposal (RFP)

Water Quality Control Division (WQCD)

User Interface Permits Modernization - OIT

RFP 2025000282

This solicitation contains instructions governing the proposal to be submitted and the material to be included therein, mandatory requirements which must be met to be eligible for consideration;

and other requirements to be met by each proposal.

STATEMENT ON AND COMMITMENT TO EQUITY

CDPHE acknowledges that long-standing systemic racism, including economic and environmental injustice, has created conditions that negatively impact marginalized communities, particularly people of color. These conditions, which limit opportunities for optional health and influence individual behaviors, are critical predictors of health outcomes.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS SIGNATURE PAGE EXAMPLE 2

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES 3

SECTION 1: ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION 4

SECTION 2: STATEMENT OF WORK 11

SECTION 3: RESPONSE FORMAT 24

SECTION 4: PROPOSAL EVALUATION 25

Attachments & Exhibits

A. Attachments:

1. Attachment 1 - Request for Proposal Signature Page (to be returned)

2. Attachment 2 - Budget / Price Sheet Template

3. Attachment 3 - Proposer Response Template

4. Attachment 4 - System Security Plan

5. Attachment 5 - Data Use Agreement Template

B. Exhibits:

1. Exhibit A, Submission Instructions

2. Exhibit B, Draft Statement of Work

3. Exhibit C, State of Colorado OIT Contract Template

(EXAMPLE ONLY ) - REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS – VENDOR INFORMATION / SIGNATURE PAGE

RFP INFORMATION

RFP # 2025000282 TITLE: User Interface Permits Modernization - OIT

ANTICIPATED INITIAL CONTRACT TERM: Approximately One (1) Year ANTICIPATED OPTIONAL EXTENSION TERMS: Nine (9) 1-year extension terms, or a combination of optional extension terms totaling no more than ten (10) years.

IMPORTANT: Proposer Name and the RFP # must be in the file name when the proposal is submitted. For full submission information, see Exhibit A Submission Instructions

For Non-electronic submission only: Proposers shall submit sealed proposals to the below address:

• One (1) original (signed) version of Attachment 1

• One (1) electronic version of the Proposal on USB flash drive

Colorado Department of Public Health And Environment Procurement And Contracts Unit, Mail Room

4300 Cherry Creek Drive South Denver, CO 80246

ATTN: Darla Wear, Purchasing Agent EMAIL (INQUIRIES ONLY) TO: darla.wear@state.co.us

For Electronic Submission only: Proposers shall submit proposals WITH One (1) original (signed) version of Attachment 1 via BidNet Direct at: www.bidnetdirect.com//cdphe.

PROPOSER’S CONTACT INFORMATION

COMPANY NAME:

CONTACT:

STREET ADDRESS:

PHONE:

CITY/STATE/ZIP:

E-MAIL:

FEIN:

VSS #:

PROPOSER’S AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE:

PRINTED NAME:

TITLE:

Proposers are urged to read the solicitation document thoroughly before submitting a response. The Vendor Customer Number and F.E.I.N. referenced above will be used for issuance of award, contracting, and payment for the winning response. Verify that the provided numbers are correct for the entity submitting this response. The FEIN must match VSS registration to be eligible for award.

Vendor accepts all Contract/PO Terms and conditions without negotiation: ◻ Yes ◻ No Does your organization qualify as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) or Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE)? ◻ Yes ◻ No

(PLEASE USE ATTACHMENT 1 TO RETURN WITH YOUR RESPONSE - This is the example only) mailto:darla.wear@state.co.us http://www.bidnetdirect.com/cdphe

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY DATE/TIME (MST)

RFP Notice Published on VSS and BidNet www.colorado.gov/vss and www.bidnetdirect.com//cdphe

June 17, 2025

Prospective Proposers Written Inquiry Deadline (No questions accepted after this date/time; e-mail preferred)

July 8, 2025

2:00 PM MST

Response to Written Inquiries published on Colorado VSS at www.colorado.gov/vss and www.bidnetdirect.com//cdphe

July 24, 2025

2:00 PM MST

Bid/Proposal Submission Deadline August 11, 2025

2:00 PM MST

Oral Presentations/Demonstrations/Best and Final Offers 1 To Be Determined

Notice of Award 1 To Be Determined

Initial Contract Period2 12/15/2025-12/14/2026

The resulting contract Initial Contract Term of approximately one (1) year with the option to extend by one (1) year extensions, (or a combination of agreed upon years) for a total potential contract term of not more than Ten (10) Years.

To Be Determined (TBD)

1 Dates are estimated 2 Initial contract term and option years will be at the discretion of the State in any combination thereof http://www.colorado.gov/vss http://www.colorado.gov/vss

SECTION 1: ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Issuing Office This Request for Proposals (RFP) is issued by the State of Colorado, Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) Procurement and Contracts Unit, for the benefit of the State of Colorado (State).

The CDPHE Procurement and Contracts Unit and Purchasing Agent listed on the RFP Signature Page is the sole point of contact concerning this RFP. All communication must be directed to the designated Purchasing Agent.

1.1 INVITATION TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS

Please be advised that the Colorado Vendor Self Service (VSS) and BidNet Direct (BidNet) websites are the official sites for all Solicitation information, including Addenda and Modifications.

Though not a requirement, Respondents are encouraged to become a member of VSS and BidNet Direct prior to the submission deadline. Solicitations for most Colorado State Agencies (Agencies), including CDPHE, are posted on VSS. The VSS Help Desk is available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., local time, phone, 303-866-6464 or email, VSSHelp@state.co.us.

Solicitation details posted on VSS by Agencies for goods, services, and construction are public and do not require registration to view. Should a company opt to register with VSS, it may elect to receive automatic notification in categories of interest. Additionally, there is no cost to register on VSS. However, per Procurement Rule 24-102-202.5-04, Respondents need not be registered with VSS in order to be deemed responsive to this RFP, however, an Proposer must have a current registration on VSS in order to be awarded under this solicitation.

In an effort to expand the potential pool of Respondents to this RFP thus providing the best value for the State, CDPHE is also posting this RFP on BidNet Direct at the link available in the Schedule of Activities or Exhibit A Submission Instructions. Respondents do not need to register on BidNet or pay funds to access the solicitation.

An Proposer must have a current registration on VSS in order to be awarded under this solicitation;

however, vendors do not need to be registered to view the solicitation documents. There is no cost to register on Colorado VSS. To become a registered supplier on VSS, please visit www.colorado.gov/vss. To become a registered supplier on BidNet Direct please visit www.bidnetdirect.com//cdphe.

1.2 PROPOSER IDENTIFICATION

All Proposals must include a valid tax identification number for the Proposer. Any Proposer must be a legal entity with the legal right to contract in the State of Colorado. Only the identity of the Proposer will be used to determine the Proposer’s registration status on VSS or BidNet Direct. If an Proposer is owned or controlled by a parent company, the Proposal must also identify the name, main office address, and tax identification number of such parent company.

1.3. INQUIRIES

Proposers may submit written inquiries via email concerning this solicitation to obtain clarifications. The State may not accept inquiries after the date and time indicated in the Schedule of Activities. Inquiries must be made to the designated Purchasing Agent using the contact information appearing on the Signature Page for this RFP. Inquiries must be clearly marked with the RFP number and title. Where appropriate, inquiries should include references to any relevant Section/paragraph of the solicitation.

Responses to Proposers inquiries will be published collectively, as a modification on Colorado VSS and BidNet. Proposers shall not rely on any verbal statements that alter any specification or other term or about:blank about:blank condition of the solicitation. Such changes are valid only if provided in writing by the Procurement Contact.

1.4. MODIFICATION OR WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSALS

An Proposer may modify a Proposal submitted in response to this RFP prior to the established proposal submission deadline. An Proposer may withdraw a Proposal at any time.

1.5. THE STATE’S RIGHTS

The State reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to waive informalities and minor irregularities in connection with any Proposal received.

The State reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel this entire RFP or individual phases or projects at any time, without penalty.

1.6. CERTIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT PRICE DETERMINATION

By submitting a Proposal in response to this RFP, each Proposer certifies, and in the case of a joint Proposal each party thereto certifies as to its own organization, that in connection with this procurement:

a. The prices in the Proposal have been arrived at independently, without consultation, communication, or agreement, for the purpose of restricting competition, as to any matter relating to such prices with any other Proposer or with any competitor, other than a joint Proposer;

b. Unless otherwise required by law, the prices which have been quoted in the Proposal have not been knowingly disclosed by the Proposer and will not knowingly be disclosed by the Proposer prior to opening, directly or indirectly to any other Proposer or to any competitor; and

c. No attempt has been made or will be made by the Proposer to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a Proposal for the purpose of restricting competition.

Each person signing the RFP Signature Page of the Proposal certifies that:

a. The signing individual has the legal authority to bind the Proposer organization to the prices and other obligations offered in the Proposal and that the signing individual has not participated, and will not participate, in any action contrary to the certifications above; and

b. The signing individual is not aware of any person connected with the Proposer organization who has participated in any action contrary to the certifications above; and

c. The signing individual will immediately notify the State if the individual becomes aware of any action by any individual or entity contrary to the certifications above.

A Proposal will not be considered for award where any of the certifications above have been deleted or modified. In the event that any Proposer furnishes with the Proposal a signed statement which sets forth in detail the circumstances of any action contrary to the certifications above, the State may accept such proposal only if the State determines that such disclosure was not made for the purpose of restricting competition.

1.7. PROPRIETARY/CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

CDPHE recognizes that some elements of a Proposal may contain proprietary or confidential information.

An Proposer may request confidentiality of information submitted in connection with a Proposal using the following procedure:

a. The Proposer must submit a written request for confidentiality together with its Proposal.

b. The request must state specifically what elements of the Proposal are to be considered confidential and must provide a justification for the request. To the extent that the request includes multiple types of information, the request must include a specific justification for the request as applied to each different type of information requested to be held confidential. Whole sections of the proposal will not be considered as confidential with the exception of references and experiences.

c. Material requested to remain confidential must be separated from the remaining elements of the Proposal and must be readily identified, such as by labeling the pages as “Proprietary/Confidential.”

The State will not consider any requests for confidentiality under the following circumstances:

a. All, or substantially all, of a Proposal is requested to remain confidential.

b. Material requested to be kept confidential is co-mingled with other information in the

Proposal (i.e., is not separated from the remainder of the Proposal as required above).

c. The request concerns price or rate information, or information that will be included in any resulting contract for the goods or services proposed.

d. Whole sections of the proposal. Specific information within any section must be identified and parsed from the proposal as separate and submitted separately in order to be considered for confidentiality.

The CDPHE Procurement Official or delegate will make a written determination regarding any request for confidentiality that complies with the requirements above. In the event that CDPHE denies the Proposer’s request for confidentiality or determines that a request is not in compliance with the requirements of this RFP, a notice of that determination will be sent to the Proposer. Upon notice of such denial, the Proposer may withdraw its entire Proposal. An Proposer’s decision to allow its Proposal to remain under consideration will be considered acceptance of CDPHE’s determination regarding confidentiality.

Nothing in this section prohibits CDPHE from unilaterally determining that any portion of a Proposal should remain confidential, provided that the same criteria for such determination are applied to all proposals submitted under this RFP.

1.8. RFP RESPONSE MATERIAL OWNERSHIP

All material submitted regarding this RFP becomes the property of the State of Colorado. As such, except as provided regarding confidential or proprietary information above, the State of Colorado has the right to use any or all such information or material. The State of Colorado may retain or dispose of all such information or material as is lawfully deemed appropriate.

Except as provided regarding confidential or proprietary information above, all proposals may be reviewed by any person after a Notice of Intent to Make an Award has been issued, subject to the terms of the Colorado Open Records Act (“CORA”), §§24-72-200.1, et seq., C.R.S. Proposer expressly agrees that the State of Colorado may use the materials for all lawful State purposes and may make the information available to the public in accordance with the provisions of CORA.

1.9. PROPOSAL PRICING

Price and cost information included in any Proposal must be firm, must be stated in U.S. dollars, and must include all related costs (e.g. surcharges, travel, etc.). Estimated Proposal prices are not acceptable. Any costs not included as part of the Proposal may be disallowed under the contract with the awarded Proposer.

Quantities stated in this RFP or in any Proposal are estimates only. Unless expressly stated otherwise, no volume of goods or services to be purchased can be guaranteed. Pricing may be tiered, but may not be contingent upon any unstated assumptions regarding quantities to be purchased.

At the request of the State, Best and Final Offers may be considered in determining the awarded Proposer.

Proposals, including Best and Final Offers, shall be firm for a period of not less than one hundred eighty

(180) calendar days from the date of award.

1.10. TAXES

The State of Colorado, as a purchaser, is exempt from all Federal excise taxes under Chapter 32 of the Internal Revenue Code (Registration No. 84-730123K) and from all state and local government use taxes under §39-26-114(a), C.R.S. The State of Colorado’s State and Local Sales Tax Exemption Number is 98- 02565.

Goods and services purchased by an Proposer may be subject to sales tax in certain jurisdictions even though the Proposer is purchasing such goods or services in connection with providing goods or services to the State. Any taxes to which Proposer may be subject will not be reimbursed by the State.

1.11. INSURANCE

Any awarded Proposer shall obtain and maintain at all times during the term of any contract resulting from this RFP insurance in the kinds and amounts outlined in the Model Contract or Purchase Order Terms and Conditions attached with this RFP.

1.12. CONTRACT TERM

Any contract resulting from this RFP will be effective upon approval by the State Controller or designee, or as otherwise allowed by law. The contract performance shall commence upon the effective date of the contract and shall be undertaken and performed in the sequence and manner set forth in the contract. The estimated total term of any resulting contract is stated on the Signature Page for this RFP.

1.13. CONTRACTUAL OFFER AND ACCEPTANCE

1.13.1. Acceptance or Rejection of RFP and Contract Terms

By submitting a Proposal, Proposer acknowledges and accepts all terms and conditions of this RFP unless Proposer’s proposal clearly and unequivocally rejects such term or condition. Failure to clearly articulate any such rejection, or any variation between a Proposal and this RFP, shall be deemed a waiver of any rights to subsequently modify the terms of performance. Rejection of any term or condition of the RFP may be grounds for the state to reject a Proposal or decline to select a Proposal for award.

A Proposal signed by an authorized representative for the Proposer and submitted in response to this RFP shall constitute a binding offer for the State to purchase or otherwise contract for the goods or services proposed therein. Except as modified herein or as agreed to by the State, the Model Contract or Purchase Order Terms and Conditions included with this RFP will be binding upon the awarded Proposer. The contents of the Proposal, including the services of any persons specified, will become contractual obligations of the awarded Proposer if a contract ensues. Failure of the awarded Proposer to accept these obligations in a resulting contract may result in cancellation of the award and such Proposer may be removed from future solicitations.

1.13.2. Proposed Changes to Contract Terms

A Proposal may include proposed changes to the Model Contract language or Purchase Order Terms and Conditions. Each proposed change must include proposed alternative or substitute language. Such proposed changes will not be viewed as rejections of the RFP terms and conditions. General objections or objections indicated to be negotiated subsequent to the award will not be accepted. The State of Colorado, in its sole discretion, may accept or reject proposed changes during the contract negotiation process with the awarded Proposer. The State’s rejection of any proposed change will not alter the awarded Proposer’s obligation to perform subject to the terms of this RFP.

The State of Colorado reserves the right to modify the contract language in response to legislative, budget, or policy changes, or as otherwise required by law. The State reserves the right to clarify terms and conditions not having an appreciable effect on quality, price/cost, risk, or delivery schedule during post-award formalization of the contract.

1.14. AGREEMENT EXECUTION

An awarded Proposer shall have no longer than forty-five (45) calendar days to enter into a contract after being notified of the award by the State. If no contract has been executed after forty-five days and such delay is not the fault of the State, the State may elect to cancel the award. The State may elect to grant the award to the next most responsive Proposer.

The State of Colorado shall not be liable for any costs incurred by any Proposer prior to the execution of a contract. No property interest of any nature shall accrue until a contract is approved by the parties and by the State Controller, or otherwise legally executed as allowed by law.

1.15. INFORMATION SECURITY

All Proposals will be evaluated, in part, based on the Proposer’s willingness and ability to comply with all applicable laws, regulations, rules, policies, procedures, or other requirements concerning the safeguarding of any and all State systems and data. The awarded Proposer will be expected to comply with:

a. All Colorado Office of Information Security (OIS) policies and procedures which OIS has issued pursuant to §§24-37.5-401 through 406, C.R.S. and 8 CCR §1501-5 and posted at https://oit.colorado.gov/standards-policies-guides/technical-standards-policies

b. All information security and privacy obligations imposed by any federal, state, or local statute or regulation, or by any industry standards or guidelines, as applicable based on the classification of the data relevant to Contractor’s performance under the Contract. Such obligations shall arise from:

i. Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

ii. IRS Publication 1075

iii. Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS)

iv. FBI Criminal Justice Information Service Security Addendum

v. CMS Minimum Acceptable Risk Standards for Exchanges

vi. Electronic Information Exchange Security Requirements and Procedures For State and Local Agencies Exchanging Electronic Information With The Social Security Administration

vii. CIS Center for Internet Security CISecurity.org

viii. NIST Standards: https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/sp800

ix. Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment of 1988 (CLIA)

x. National Committee on Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS)

xi. ISO 17025 General Requirements for the Competence of Testing & Calibration Labs

xii. Good Automated Laboratory Procedures (GALP)

xiii. Service Organization Control (SOC2)

The Awarded Proposer shall implement and maintain all appropriate administrative, physical, technical, and procedural safeguards necessary and appropriate to ensure compliance with the standards and guidelines applicable to the performance described in the Proposal.

As a condition of the execution of a contract as a result of this RFP, the Awarded Proposer must provide the State with information reasonably required to assess the Awarded Proposer’s ability to comply with the https://oit.colorado.gov/standards-policies-guides/technical-standards-policies http://cisecurity.org/ https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/sp800 requirements stated above. At the direction of the Office of Information Security (“OIS”), such access and information may include:

a. A recent SOC2 Type II audit including, at a minimum, the Trust Principles of Security, Confidentiality, and Availability, or an alternative audit acceptable to OIS.

b. The results of security audits, penetration tests, or vulnerability scans, as requested by OIS or its designee at any time under this Contract;

c. To the extent the Awarded Proposer controls or maintains information systems used in connection with State Records, Awarded Proposer will provide OIS with the results of all security assessment activities when conducted on such information systems, including any code-level vulnerability scans, application level risk assessments, and other security assessment activities as required by this Contract or reasonably requested by OIS. Awarded Proposer will make reasonable efforts to remediate any vulnerabilities or will request a security exception from the State. The State will work with Contractor and OIS to prepare any requests for exceptions from the security requirements described in this Contract and its Exhibits, including mitigating controls and other factors, and OIS will consider such requests in accordance with their policies and procedures referenced herein.

1.16. COOPERATIVE PURCHASING

Consistent with the Office of Information Technologies (OIT) obligations under §24-37.5-106(1)(h), C.R.S., any contract resulting from this RFP shall be a cooperative purchasing agreement, pursuant to §24- 110-201, C.R.S. CDPHE will be the primary State party to the contract pursuant to §24-37.5-105(3)(i), C.R.S. All Executive Branch State Agencies, any participating Legislative or Judicial Branch State Agencies, and any participating State Institution of Higher Education shall be eligible to purchase the goods or services described in the Proposal and any contract resulting from this RFP.

1.17. CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURE

Proposers must disclose any potential conflict of interest in connection with a Proposal. A conflict of interest may include, but is not limited to, access to any non-public information regarding the RFP or the subject matter of the RFP by the Proposer, or any of the Proposer’s employees, contractors, or agents, including any individual who may have had access to non-public information in a prior capacity before entering into a relationship with Proposer.

No individual or entity engaged by the State to prepare this RFP or that has otherwise had prior access to the solicitation or to sensitive information related to this procurement process (including, but not limited to the requirements, statement of work, or evaluation criteria), will be eligible to submit or participate in a Proposal in response to this RFP.

If the State determines that a conflict of interest exists, the State, in its sole discretion, may reject any Proposal or cancel the award of a contract. In the event the Awarded Proposer was aware of any conflict of interest prior to the award of the contract and failed to disclose the conflict to the State, the State may terminate the contract for cause.

The provisions of this section regarding disclosure of conflicts of interest to the State must be included in any subcontracts in connection with performance of the work. The language included in any subcontract must preserve the State’s rights to disclosure of conflicts of interest and to termination of the contract on the basis of any unacceptable conflict or failure to disclose any conflict.

1.19.1 Resolution of Controversies

Any controversy in connection with this solicitation or the award of a contract as a result of this RFP shall be resolved according to the provisions of Article 109, Title 24, C.R.S.

1.18. Colorado Business Registration

Within ten (10) business days of the notification of the award of a contract under this RFP, the awarded Proposer be properly registered with the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office to do business in Colorado.

The State may request that the awarded Proposer provide evidence of such registration, as well as other organizing documents such as Articles of Incorporation or By-laws.

1.19. Protested Solicitations and Awards

Any actual or prospective Proposer who is aggrieved in connection with the solicitation or award of a contract may protest to the CDPHE, Procurement and Contracts Director, 4300 Cherry Creek Drive S.

Denver, CO 80246. The protest must be submitted in writing within ten (10) working days after such aggrieved person knows, or should have known, of the facts giving rise thereto. Reference C.R.S., Title 24, Article 109.

SECTION 2: STATEMENT OF WORK

This section provides the Proposer with a general overview of the requirements contained within this RFP.

Additional information regarding the specific requirements may be contained in any documents attached to this RFP.

2.1. INTRODUCTION

The Water Quality Control Division (WQCD) of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) seeks to modernize the permit issuance process by providing a permit management system with a user-friendly interface to public and agency users, that integrates with the permit dashboard providing transparency to permittees and the public across the state of Colorado while supporting the complex permitting workflows for up to approximately 92 permit processes. These processes may be addressed in stages to best fit the needs of the permit section staff.

The WQCD seeks to implement a system that includes a permittee dashboard, manages permit processes, and rapidly aggregates information through Application Programming Interfaces (API) or other approved connectivity mechanisms, to and from the permits Amazon Web Service (AWS) database to generate required reporting to the EPA.

Through the implementation of this system, WQCD will have flexibility in permitting workflow implementation and modification. Ongoing modernization will enhance communications and transparency to permittees and data delivery to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). Finally, this project will allow the WQCD to collect and track information from permittees, ensuring the accuracy, completeness, and accessibility of permit data to facilitate streamlined operations, reporting, and decision-making.

2.2. BACKGROUND

This project serves to address an environmental concern needed to ensure the accuracy, completeness, and accessibility of environmental permit data. Currently, water permits are created through various disparate platforms, including a vendor-hosted solution for some permits, databases, spreadsheets, and manual forms.

The number of systems required to perform processing and the need for manual data entry slow down the permit generation process. The slowdown inhibits permit holders’ ability to maintain and protect water resources across Colorado. The disparate platforms create missed strategic planning opportunities and grant awards for areas of Colorado with the highest need for water quality improvement.

2.3. MANDATORY MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

In order to submit a proposal for this RFP, the Proposer shall meet all of the requirements listed below.

All mandatory minimum requirements are evaluated based on a pass or fail. All proposals must receive a PASS score in order to be fully evaluated and the scores totaled for the final award.

a. Demonstrate the ability to perform the work outlined in this RFP and in Exhibit B, Draft Statement of Work.

b. Have documented experience of operating in a web-based and cloud-based environment.

c. Provide details of how the proposed user interface can integrate with other enterprise systems.

2.4. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (2 PAGES MAX)

Proposer shall submit an overview of the proposed system including details about how their product and company can best meet the needs of the WQCD User Interface project. The proposer shall submit an organizational overview that includes years in business, areas of expertise, (specifically Proposers experience with the requirements listed below), and a brief overview of staff, including the total number of employees.

2.5 REFERENCES AND EXPERIENCE

The State reserves the right to use Colorado State Agencies and other state governments as references. In addition to these references, Proposers must include the following with their Proposal:

1) Provide two (2) references, including contact name, individual titles, locations, email address and a current telephone number. The references provided should be associated with work completed corresponding to the nature of the work in scope and size called for in this RFP and Statement of Work.

2) Proposer shall have adequate personnel with the necessary credentials and training to successfully complete the activities in the Draft Statement of Work (Exhibit B) and the requirements of this RFP.

3) Proposer shall have documented experience with data collection and providing technical assistance and/or customer service.

4) Proposer shall provide documentation of completed projects of similar size and scope within the past five (5) years.

2.6 OVERVIEW AND STATEMENT OF WORK SUMMARY

The successful Proposer shall implement a user-friendly interface for the public and agency users that integrates with the permit dashboard providing transparency to permittees and the public across the state of Colorado while supporting the complex permitting workflows for up to approximately 92 permit processes.

These processes may be addressed in stages to best fit the needs of the permit section staff and funding availability.

1) Perform a gap analysis to evaluate the state of permit processes and identify a future state.

2) To construct public-facing permit application forms.

3) Construct a user interface to meet CDPHE’s internal permitting workflow requirements.

4) Construct a mechanism to display the permit dashboard on the user interface.

5) Build interfaces to exchange information with existing enterprise systems, including data warehouses, records management systems and reporting dashboards.

6) Provide ongoing user and system support.

Refer to Exhibit B – Draft Statement of Work for details.

2.7. BUDGET (ATTACHMENT 2)

CDPHE has allocated $495,000 for the implementation of a new permit management system for the initial contract period targeted to begin December 15, 2025 and ending December 14, 2026. Additional funding may be available in the future. The allocated amount is to include the activities and sub-activities listed within the Exhibit B - Statement of Work for system implementation and deployment of the fully operational application. The Proposer shall include all costs necessary to complete all primary activities and sub activities to successfully complete the project for the initial time frame with years two (2) through ten (10) proposed for hosting, maintenance, and support. The anticipated budget for years two (2) through ten (10) is approximately $100,000 annually.

1) Gap Analysis

2) Workflow Creation

3) System Configuration

4) Front End Development

5) Data Integration

6) System Testing and resolution of issues/defects

7) Training (List any specific training plans)

8) Project Management and Reporting Planning (Security, Disaster Recovery, Training, Operations, Transition)

9) System Implementation and Integration

10) Documentation

11) System Transition and Go Live

12) First year Maintenance and Support

13) Subsequent Years of Hosting/Annual Maintenance and Support

2.8 TIMELINE

The actual start date for the contract will be the executed date and is targeted for December 15, 2025 with the initial contract time frame estimated from December 15, 2025 to December 14, 2026. At the sole discretion of the State, and depending upon funding and Proposer performance, CDPHE may renew the agreement for up to nine (9) additional one (1) year periods, not to exceed ten (10) years total. At the sole discretion of the State, the CDPHE may modify the dates of the contract.

1) This project must be developed, implemented, and fully operational by December 14, 2026 for the initial first contract period.

2) Contract years two (2) through ten (10) are planned to include maintenance, updates, enhancements, support and hosting with costs estimated for these years.

2.9. KEY TERMINOLOGY

Whenever the following terms are in this document, they have the meaning as outlined below:

1. “Acceptance Criteria” means the standards listed in an order which characterize the Authorized Purchaser’s specific requirements and conditions that must be satisfied by the MSP for the Authorized Purchaser to accept the completed Deliverables.

3) “Acceptance Testing” means testing as described in a Purchase Order to be performed by MSP to determine that deliverable(s) meet the Acceptance Criteria.

2. “Awarded Proposer” means the Proposer(s) whose proposal response the State deems to be most advantageous considering price and the evaluation factors set forth in this RFP.

3. “BidNet Direct” means an alternate website to VSS for RFP’s to be posted along with inquiry responses. Electronic proposal submissions are allowed here.

4. “Business Day” means 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Mountain Time, Monday through Friday, excluding State holidays and State mandated office closures.

5. “Contractor” means the Awarded Proposer following the execution of an Enterprise Agreement resulting from this RFP.

6. “Deliverables” means the outcome to be achieved or output to be provided, in the form of a tangible object or software that would be produced as a result of Proposer’s Work as described in a Proposal.

7. “Delivery Schedule” means the schedule(s) for the performance of Work, as set forth in an Order that lists: (1) each Deliverable, including its measurable attributes; (2) payment schedule within each Deliverable, including milestone completion date; and (3) final delivery date for each Deliverable.

8. “Documentation” means an operational description, in written format, of all Work to be performed under an Order, including documents that are Deliverables.

9. “Enterprise Agreement” means the contract resulting from the award under this RFP. An OIT Enterprise Agreement is a contract authorized pursuant to C.R.S. §25-37.5-105 under which various entities may access the goods or services described in the agreement at the same prices and on the same terms defined in the Enterprise Agreement.

10. “Errors” mean defect(s) in the Deliverables, Work, or Work Product such that the Work or Work Product does not comply with the specifications set forth in an Order.

11. “Final Acceptance” means the date upon which provides MSP written notice that it has accepted all the Work to be performed, including all Deliverables or when applicable the System to be delivered, including any updates, corrections, or additions to content, and that will make payment for Work performed. The Warranty Period shall commence upon Final Acceptance.

12. “Key Persons” means the State Staff (supervisor or project manager) who will be principally responsible for managing the Services or for performance of Work under an Order and the satisfactory completion, delivery and acceptance of the related Deliverables.

13. “MWBE” means a Minority- or Women-owned Business.

14. “Open Source Software” means one or more of the following: (1) any software that contains or is derived in any manner (in whole or in part) from open source software or software subject to similar licensing or distribution requirements; and (2) any software that requires as a condition of its use, modification or distribution that such software (or other software incorporated into, derived from or distributed with such software) be either (a) disclosed or distributed in source code form; (b) licensed for the purpose of making derivative works; or (c) redistributable at no charge.

15. “Order” means request for work from the awarded vendor by an ordering entity such as OIT, institutions of Higher Education, political subdivisions. A purchase or Task order which may include a statement of work.

16. “PHI” is any information in the medical record or designated record set that can be used to identify an individual and that was created, used, or disclosed in the course of providing a health care service such as diagnosis or treatment.

17. “PII” means personally identifiable information including, without limitation, any information maintained by the State about an individual that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, such as name, social security number, date and place of birth, mother’s maiden name, or biometric records; and any other information that is linked or linkable to an individual, such as medical, educational, financial, and employment information. PII includes, but is not limited to, all information defined as personally identifiable information in C.R.S.

24-72-501.

18. “Proposal” means an Proposer’s response to this RFP. A Proposal may also be called a bid, response, or offer. If such have been requested and submitted following initial responses, an Proposer’s Proposal shall include any clarifications or any best-and-final offer.

19. “Proposer” means any entity or individual submitting a proposal in response to this RFP.

20. “Request for Proposals” or “RFP” means a procurement solicitation that seeks offers from organizations or individuals to perform the scope of work defined in the RFP, in accordance with the terms listed in the RFP. An RFP is issued with the intent of selecting the most advantageous proposal, making an award to that Proposer, and entering into a contract.

21. “Solicitation” means a document issued by the State of Colorado agency that requests competitive offers from organizations or individuals to sell the goods or services that are specified in the document. A solicitation typically results in an award of a contract or purchase order for the goods or services, based on an award methodology defined in the solicitation.

Types of solicitations include: Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Invitation for Bids (IFBs) and Documented Quotes (DQs).

22. “State” means the State of Colorado.

23. “Statement of Work” means the components of an Order that include but are not limited to an introduction, project objectives, definitions, detailed tasks (and subtasks if needed), measurable Deliverables that correlate with tasks, acceptance criteria, delivery and payment schedule.

24. “System” means one or more of the Authorized Purchaser’s integrated computer software application and database systems that may be modified, converted, created or enhanced by Contractor for Authorized Purchaser under an Order. System includes but shall not be limited to all related technical design documents, software, databases, database schemas, formats, documentation, reports, memoranda, studies, plans, designs, specifications, statements, drawings, materials, exhibits, schedules and other documents or materials, in whatever media, developed by a contractor in the performance of Work under an Order, as more fully described and specified in a Statement of Work.

25. “Vendor” means any organization or individual that seeks to provide, or is already providing, goods or services.

26. “VSS” means The State of Colorado's Vendor Self Service Web site. All solicitations published by State agencies and institutions are published on VSS.

27. “Work” means all work to be performed under an Order, as more fully described in the Exhibits, schedules, and Statements of Work, including but not limited to: related services that support computer software, data processing, know-how transfer, enhancements, business process automation systems, planning, programming, construction, analysis, design, development, project management, testing, risk analysis, quality assurance, integration, training or implementation.

28. “Work Product” means every invention, modification, discovery, design, development, customization, configuration, improvement, process, software program, work of authorship, documentation, formula, datum, technique, know-how, secret, or intellectual property right whatsoever or any interest therein (whether patentable or not patentable or registrable under copyright or similar statutes or subject to analogous protection) that is specifically made, conceived, discovered, or reduced to practice by a contractor or their agents (either alone or with others) pursuant to an Order.

ACRONYMS

Acronym Definition

API Application Program Interface

BAFO Best and Final Offer

CCR Code of Colorado Regulations

CDPHE State of Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

CIS Center for Internet Security

CORE Colorado Operations Resource Engine

DR Disaster Recover

FTP File Transfer Protocol

GPS Global Positioning System

Acronym Definition

HTML Hypertext Markup Language

HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol

HTTPS Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure

IP Internet Protocol

ISO International Organization for Standardization

ODBC Open Database Connectivity

OIT Colorado Governor’s Office of Information Technology

PHI Protected Health Information

PII Personal Identifiable Information

RFP Request for Proposal

SFTP Secure File Transfer Protocol

SOW Statement of Work

SQL Structured Query Language

UAT User Acceptance Testing

XML Extensible Markup Language

2.10 DETAILED DEFINITION OF WORK

The awarded Proposer will collaborate with CDPHE in the planning, implementation, configuration, and integration of the User Interface Permits Modernization - OIT. The Proposer selected through this RFP may also work with existing and additional Vendors, as required, for the planning and execution of activities as existing systems are replaced in whole or in part.

In the Sections 2.10.1 through 2.14 below, Proposers must provide narrative responses for each numbered section to detail how the Proposal complies for each item using the corresponding Attachment 3 - Proposer Response Template (for return with Proposal).

Where appropriate, provide previous experience, methodology, and plans for delivering on each requirement. In preparing a response for each item below, provide specific examples from previous projects to elaborate on an approach, technology, or technique.

2.10.1 BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS

1) The awarded Proposer must build the User Interface Permits Modernization using a cloud-based infrastructure.

2) The awarded Proposer must construct public-facing permit application forms.

3) The awarded Proposer must work with CDPHE to construct a user interface as needed to meet

CDPHE’s internal permitting workflow requirements.

4) The awarded Proposer must construct a mechanism to display the permit dashboard on the user interface.

5) The awarded Proposer must provide ongoing user and system support.

6) The awarded Proposer must build interfaces to exchange information with existing enterprise systems, including data warehouses, records management systems and reporting dashboards.

7) The awarded Proposer must provide CDPHE with real-time administrator-level access to all data within the User Interface Permits Modernization.

8) The awarded Proposer shall comply with all OIT procedures concerning User Interface

Permits Modernization.

9) The awarded Proposer must conduct the project using Scrum framework. This includes agile scheduling and methodologies involving CDPHE as a partner in the process.

2.10.2. Technical Requirements

1) The awarded Offeror must implement using the CDPHE/OIT secure cloud hosting environment providing all necessary software to manage the application and support users with permission/role based logins.

2) Design and architecture must ensure the following criteria:

a) modular,

b) scalable,

c) accessible,

d) meet security requirements,

e) support future enhancements,

f) high availability,

g) fault tolerance,

h) minimal downtime

3) Build and solution using technology systems, platforms, tools used and approved in advance by WQCD.

4) Describe your solution’s ability to be adaptable and use extensible architecture for future expansion and scalability.

5) Describe how your solution will utilize a system architecture that is non-vendor proprietary, portable, and will use published APIs.

6) Describe your capability of supporting production, test, training, and development environments.

2.10.3. Data Integration Requirements

1) The awarded Proposer must integrate the WQCD User Interface Permits Modernization with the WQCD cloud environment that is hosted in Amazon Web Services.

2) The awarded Proposer shall develop all integrations in accordance with OIT approved integration patterns and technologies shall register any necessary integrations with OIT's Anypoint Platform.

3) The awarded Proposer must integrate the User Interface Permits Modernization with an Exchange Network Services compatible export for transfer of data to the EPA.

4) The awarded proposer must integrate the external user registration with LexisNexis or similar platform for identity verification for digital signatures.

2.10.4. Disaster Recovery Requirements

1) The awarded Offeror will work with OIT to provide documented disaster recovery plans that address the recovery of lost State data. The User Interface Permits Modernization will be architected to meet the defined recovery needs.

a) The disaster recovery plan will identify appropriate methods for procuring additional storage in the event of a disaster. In most instances, the User Interface Permits Modernization Database will offer a level of redundancy so that a minor failure will not be sufficient to terminate services.

b) The awarded Offeror will work with OIT to provide a defined and documented back-up schedule and procedure. The minimum acceptable frequency will be differential backup daily, and complete backup weekly.

c) The awarded Offeror will work with OIT to ensure that there is a procedure to make back-up copies of data for the purpose of facilitating restoration of the data in the event of data loss or System failure.

d) The awarded Offeror will work with OIT to provide business continuity and disaster recovery planning, including defined recovery time and recovery point objectives.

2.10.5. System Configuration Requirements

1) Field and screen validation:

a) Describe how your solution provides a visual distinction between mandatory and non-mandatory fields.

b) Describe how your solution provides field validation of data upon entry of the screen for posting.

c) Describe how your solution provides screen validation upon submission.

d) Describe how your solution displays errors on the appropriate screen for the user.

2) Describe your solution’s ability to provide standard GUI items, such as drop-down menus, to make selection easier for frequently used fields.

3) Describe your solution’s ability to support “auto complete” functionality for code table lookups as the user begins to enter data in the code table lookup field.

4) Describe your solution’s ability to support pre-fill fields in appropriate pre-formatted screens, eliminating redundant data entry and without impacting the usability.

5) Describe your solution’s ability to allow users to move forward and backward to complete data fields.

6) Describe your solution’s ability to provide users with standard form navigation and allow easy movement from one work area to another via mouse or keyboard.

7) Document your solution’s ability to provide default, configurable values for fields based on previous input, referential lookup, or other mechanisms. It should incorporate currently used defaults.

8) Describe your solution’s ability to provide lookup tables for valid values for fields.

9) Describe your solution’s ability to allow authorized users to configure tables.

10) Describe how your solution allows navigation from one field to another using “hot keys” for data entry (e.g., Control key shortcuts for save, copy, cut, paste, etc.).

11) Describe how users can be aggregated by roles into user groups and sub-group capabilities.

12) Describe how your solution allows for CDPHE to modify business rules and tables based upon appropriate role-based access.

13) Describe your solution’s ability for…