RFP# 202605098 - CRM (Customer Relationship Management) System_Final.docx

STATE OF MAINE

Maine State Museum

RFP# 202605098

CRM (Customer Relationship Management) System for Maine State Museum

RFP Coordinator

Submitted Questions Due Date

June 17, 2026, no later than 4:00 p.m., local time

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

A. PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

B. GENERAL PROVISIONS

C. ELIGIBILITY TO SUBMIT BIDS

D. CONTRACT TERM

E. NUMBER OF AWARDS

A. VENDOR SELF SERVICE SYSTEM (VSS)

B. QUESTIONS

C. AMENDMENTS

D. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

A. EVALUATION PROCESS – GENERAL INFORMATION

B. SCORING WEIGHTS AND PROCESS

C. NEGOTIATIONS

D. SELECTION AND AWARD

E. APPEAL OF CONTRACT AWARDS

A. CONTRACT DOCUMENT

B. STANDARD STATE CONTRACT PROVISIONS

APPENDIX A – PROPOSAL COVER PAGE

APPENDIX B – RESPONSIBLE BIDDER CERTIFICATION

APPENDIX C – QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE FORM

APPENDIX D – SUBCONTRACTORS FORM

APPENDIX E – TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT FORM

APPENDIX F – PROPOSED SERVICES FORM

APPENDIX G – GENERAL/TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

APPENDIX H – COST PROPOSAL FORM

PUBLIC NOTICE

State of Maine Maine State Museum

RFP# 202605098

CRM (Customer Relationship Management System) for Maine State Museum

The State of Maine is seeking proposals for a cost-effective, functional system that will allow the museum to: efficiently and securely collect admissions fees; gather visitor data; provide point-of-sale functions for the reopened Museum Store; schedule visits, tours, and programs for the museum and two (2) off-site locations; and allow for future growth.

A copy of the RFP and all related documents can be obtained through Vendor Self Service (VSS): https://mevss.hostams.com/PRDVSS1X1/AltSelfService

Proposals must be submitted to the Office of State Procurement Services, via Vendor Self Service (VSS). Proposal submissions must be received no later than 4:00 p.m., local time, on July 2, 2026 Proposals will be opened the following business day.

RFP TERMS/ACRONYMS with DEFINITIONS

The following terms and acronyms, as referenced in the RFP, have the meanings indicated below:

State of Maine

RFP# 202605098

CRM (Customer Relationship Management System) for Maine State Museum

PART I INTRODUCTION

A. Purpose and Background

The Maine State Museum (Department) is seeking a cost-effective, functional system that will allow the museum to efficiently and securely collect admissions fees; gather visitor data; provide point-of-sale functions for the reopened Museum Store; schedule visits, tours, and programs for the museum and two (2) off-site locations; and allow for future growth. This document provides instructions for submitting proposals, the procedure and criteria by which the awarded Bidder will be selected, and the contractual terms which will govern the relationship between the State of Maine (State) and the awarded Bidder.

The cloud-based CRM system for the Maine State Museum will efficiently and cost-effectively allow Maine State Museum staff to complete a number of daily tasks, to manage visitor use at the Maine State Museum, as well as two (2) off-site locations, the Maine State House and the Blaine House Governor’s Residence. The visitor use at all three (3) locations is estimated at 70,000 people annually, with the Maine State Museum being the most complex and heavily used of the three (3). The system must be easily operable by a number of museum staff and compatible with State of Maine computer systems and related security requirements. The Maine State Museum has not employed any other system to do these combined tasks previously.

The CRM system will be used at the welcome desk, located at the museum entrance and in the museum’s office area on a different floor.

B. General Provisions

1. From the time the RFP is issued until award notification is made, all contact with the State regarding the RFP must be made through the RFP Coordinator. No other person/State employee is empowered to make binding statements regarding the RFP. Violation of this provision may lead to disqualification from the bidding process, at the State’s discretion.

2. Issuance of the RFP does not commit the Department to issue an award or to pay expenses incurred by a Bidder in the preparation of a response to the RFP. This includes attendance at personal interviews or other meetings and software or system demonstrations, where applicable.

3. All proposals must adhere to the instructions and format requirements outlined in the RFP and all written supplements and amendments (such as the Summary of Questions and Answers), issued by the Department. Proposals must follow the format and respond to all questions and instructions specified below in the “Proposal Submission Requirements” section of the RFP.

4. Bidders will take careful note that in evaluating a proposal submitted in response to the RFP, the Department will consider materials provided in the proposal, information obtained through interviews/presentations (if any), and internal Departmental information of previous contract history with the Bidder (if any). The Department also reserves the right to consider other reliable references and publicly available information in evaluating a Bidder’s experience and capabilities.

5. The proposal must be signed by a person authorized to legally bind the Bidder and must contain a statement that the proposal and the pricing contained therein will remain valid and binding for a period of 180 days from the date and time of the bid opening.

6. The RFP and the awarded Bidder’s proposal, including all appendices or attachments, will be the basis for the final contract, as determined by the Department.

7. Following announcement of an award decision, all records and documents regarding this RFP, including bid submissions, will be public records, available for public inspection pursuant to 5 M.R.S. §1825 B (6 &15) and the State of Maine Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) (1 M.R.S. § 401 et seq.). State contracts and information related to contracts, including all records, documents, supporting documents, and bid submissions, are public records unless otherwise excepted by statute (Id).

8. Subject to the above and pursuant to applicable law, in the event that a Bidder believes any information that it submits in response to this RFP is confidential, it must mark that information accordingly, and include citation to legal authority in support of the Bidder’s claim of confidentiality. In the event that the Department receives a FOAA request that includes submissions marked as confidential, the Department shall evaluate the information and any legal authority from the Bidder to determine whether the information is an exception to FOAA’s definition of public record. If the Department determines to release information that a Bidder has marked confidential, it shall provide advance notice to the Bidder to allow for them to seek legal relief.

9. The Department, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to recognize and waive minor informalities and irregularities found in proposals received in response to the RFP.

10. ACCESSIBILITY: All IT applications are required to comply with the Digital Accessibility Policy. In addition, all IT applications and content delivered through web browsers are required to comply with the State Web Standards.

11. STATE IT POLICIES: All IT products and services delivered as part of this Agreement shall conform to the State IT policies, standards, and procedures effective at the time this RFP is published.

12. If awarded a contract resulting from this RFP, vendors shall be required to disclose, in writing and in accordance with applicable Maine law, any actual or potential conflicts of interest. Such disclosure must include any financial, professional, or personal relationships that could give rise to a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest. Failure to disclose a known conflict or appearance of conflict may result in disqualification, contract termination, or other remedies as provided by law.

13. All applicable laws, whether or not herein contained, are included by this reference. It is the Bidder’s responsibility to determine the applicability and requirements of any such laws and to abide by them.

C. Contract Term

The Department is seeking cost-efficient proposals to provide services, as defined in this RFP, for the anticipated contract period defined in the table below. The dates below are estimated and may be adjusted, as necessary, in order to comply with all procedural requirements associated with the RFP and the contracting process. The actual contract start date will be established by a completed and approved contract.

Contract Renewal: Following the initial term of the contract, the Department may opt to renew the contract for two (2) renewal periods, as shown in the table below, and subject to continued availability of funding and satisfactory performance.

The term of the anticipated contract, resulting from the RFP, is defined as follows:

D. Number of Awards

The Department anticipates making one (1) award as a result of this RFP process.

PART II SCOPE OF SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED

A. Overview The State of Maine seeks proposals from qualified Bidders to provide, configure, implement, host, and support a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system for the Maine State Museum. The solution will support constituent management, admissions and ticketing, memberships, donations, education and group bookings, reporting, and museum store operations through an integrated, user-friendly platform. The proposed solution shall be delivered as a vendor-hosted, cloud-based system (Software-as-a-Service or equivalent), with the awarded Bidder responsible for system hosting, security, maintenance, and ongoing availability.

The awarded Bidder will provide a configurable solution that meets the functional requirements described below while allowing for refinement during implementation through collaboration with State staff. The system must support current operations and provide flexibility for future growth, integrations, and expanded public engagement.

B. Functional Requirements Administration and User Experience

1. Technical Requirements

The System must:

· Provide administrative tools that allow authorized staff to manage users, permissions, system configuration, products, pricing, and business rules without requiring custom development where practical.

· Provide a clear, intuitive, and user-friendly interface that supports efficient navigation across constituent records, transactions, ticketing, retail, and reporting functions.

· Core information, including constituent details and recent activity, should be readily accessible.

· Support global search, filtering, sorting, saved views, and role-based dashboards. The user interface shall be responsive and accessible across supported devices.

· allow users to configure which data fields are displayed in search results.

· Support configurable data validation and formatting rules that automatically enforce data standards upon entry or generate user-facing error messages when data does not meet defined criteria. Examples include, but are not limited to, enforcing phone number formatting (e.g., 555-555-5555) and validating email address structure (e.g., requiring “@” and “.”).

· The system must support user access during standard operational hours (6am to 8pm), including weekends, and should be capable of providing extended availability (e.g., up to 24/7 access from any location with appropriate network access) as an optional feature, with associated costs to be proposed by the Bidder.

2. Constituent Management The system must:

· Maintain comprehensive constituent profiles including contact information, preferences, roles, and engagement history.

· Support multiple addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses, including preferred and seasonal contact details.

· Support segmentation through categories, tags, or interest codes.

· Maintain complete transaction history and support address validation, standardization, and duplicate detection.

3. Ticketing, Admissions, and Access Control The system must:

· support the creation and management of admission tickets, memberships, events, and programs.

· enforce admission rules and benefits associated with membership levels, including admission limits where applicable.

· support scheduling, capacity management, and configurable pricing structures including discounts and complimentary tickets.

· define, track, and report on reasons for complimentary or zero-dollar tickets.

· support both online and in-person sales using a unified inventory.

· Generate receipts and support electronic and printed ticket delivery formats.

· ensure that tickets are removed from available inventory at the time they are added to a transaction.

· allow customers to receive receipts via print, email, or no receipt option, as applicable.

· support barcode-based ticket validation, including a visible transaction or ticket number for fallback in case barcode scanning fails.

· support barcode scanning for entry, exit, and re-entry, including the ability for authorized staff to override duplicate scan errors.

· support offline validation capabilities where required.

4. Sales, Transactions, and Financial Processing The system must:

· support unified transactions including tickets, memberships, donations, and retail purchases within a single transaction.

· support multiple payment methods and integration with the State’s payment processor.

· maintain a unique identifier for each transaction.

· support full and partial refunds tied to the original transaction and processed to the original form of payment.

· allow restriction of refund, edit, and transaction modification capabilities based on user roles or security groups.

· maintain a complete audit trail of all transactions, including original and modified values, user identification, and timestamps.

· support financial reconciliation and reporting processes.

5. Education and Group Booking Management The System must:

· support booking and management of group visits, educational programs, and tours

· track both reserved headcount and actual attendance.

· generate confirmations, contracts, and invoices for group bookings.

· support deposits, due dates for full payment, and automated payment reminders via email or other communication methods

· support cancellation processes including full and partial refunds.

6. Museum Store Sales Management The System must:

· shall allow restriction of the sale or redemption of specific products or items based on user roles or permissions.

· support retail operations including pricing, discounts, and customer segmentation.

· support integration with external retail platforms such as Shopify, if proposed.

7. Public-Facing Online Services The System must:

· support online transactions through the museum website, including ticket purchases, memberships, donations, and registrations where applicable

· provide a secure, accessible, and mobile-responsive user experience for public users.

8. Reporting, Analytics, and Queries The System must:

· provide dashboards, standard reports, and ad hoc query capabilities for non-technical users.

· support configurable reporting, export of data in standard formats, and reusable queries and report templates.

· allow users to create, reuse, and modify queries, save partially completed transactions and resume later, including combining query results and adding additional output fields.

· support exporting reports and query results to multiple formats including Excel, PDF, and other standard formats.

9. Integrations and Data Exchange The System must:

· provide integration capabilities with external systems, including the Museum’s website, the State’s payment processor (Elavon), and third-party platforms such as Shopify, as applicable.

· must support data exchange and interoperability to enable operational processes such as online transactions, payment processing, and retail integration.

· The awarded Bidder must provide implementation support for system integrations, including configuration, testing, and coordination with third-party systems.

C. Technical Assessment of the Proposed System:

The State of Maine requires Bidders to demonstrate they have the appropriate security controls in place to protect the State’s sensitive and/or confidential information. Bidders are required to explain their compliance with the security requirements listed in the Technical Assessment Form attached in Appendix E.

D. General/Technical Requirements In addition to the Technical Assessment, Bidders are required to explain their compliance with the General and Technical Requirements listed in Appendix G.

E. Project Management and Plan Utilize a formalized approach to project management which, at a minimum, will be compliant with the Project Management Institute (PMI) A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK guide).

1. Project Methodology: Structure and follow a project management approach for planning, organizing, and managing the staff and activities throughout the life of the project. The awarded Bidder's project management approach must facilitate open and timely communication with the Department and a strong working relationship to achieve the overall goal of completed system design performance that meets or exceeds user needs on time and within budget.

2. Project Manager: The awarded bidder must assign an experienced project manager to the project. The Project Manager must be knowledgeable with the awarded Bidder’s proposed solution. It is preferred that the Project Manager be Project Management Professional (PMP) certified. The Project Manager will be responsible for the successful completion of all work tasks as defined within the project work plan and will work under the direction of the Department’s Project Manager. The Department reserves the right to require the awarded Bidder to replace their Project Manager at any time during the project.

3. Change Management: The Project Manager must formally document and track all changes to the functional design, technical design, and/or to approved deliverables. For each potential change, the Project Manager will work closely with the Department’s Project Manager to define and document the change, its benefits, and if necessary, its impact to the project schedule and budget. No work associated with a documented change will begin without first receiving written authorization from the Department’s Project Manager.

4. Workplan: The Project Manager will be required to maintain a detailed project work plan, with content to be approved by the Department’s Project Manager, through the full term of the contract. The Project Manager will be required to submit an updated work plan to the Department’s Project Manager on a date and time that will be determined during contract negotiations. The work plan will be incorporated into the resulting contract. The work plan will be created and maintained with an automated project management tool (e.g. Microsoft Project) and will include appropriate detail to provide project status, dependencies, and risk/mitigation. The project work plan will be updated and submitted to the Department’s Project Manager on a bi-weekly basis or at an alternative period of time that is formally specified and agreed to in writing by the Department’s Project Manager.

5. Advisory Committee Coordination:

The awarded Bidder must coordinate with designated Department staff throughout the project, including providing regular status updates, reviewing feedback, and incorporating input as appropriate to ensure alignment with project goals.

6. Kickoff and Review Meetings:

The awarded bidder must attend an initial project kickoff meeting (in-person in Augusta or Bangor, or virtual) to review scope, schedule, milestones, and deliverables.

Participate in up to four (4) in-person or virtual meetings to provide project updates, review adjustments as needed.

7. Technical Documentation Submission:

Upon project completion, the awarded Bidder shall submit comprehensive technical documentation in digital (PDF) format describing the final system configuration, integrations, workflows, data structures, and administrative procedures required to operate and maintain the system.

F. Quality Assurance and Acceptance

1. The awarded bidder must Provide Project Quality Management to ensure that the system meets all requirements and satisfies the needs for which it was procured.

2. The awarded bidder must develop a plan for the overall system and user acceptance testing, to include but not be limited to:

a. Testing: Prior to moving the proposed system to the production environment, test all aspects of the solution.

b. Test Plan: In cooperation with the Department, the awarded bidder must create a test plan including all tests required in accordance with providing and operating a fully certified system. The Test Plan shall:

i. Describe the strategy for ensuring that new systems and all interfaces function properly when releasing new versions of any software application;

ii. Ensure that the system meets all applicable State of Maine OIT policies, standards, and procedures, including all security and application deployment certification requirements, prior to production deployment.

c. Test Execution:

i. The awarded bidder must schedule and coordinate all testing activities to ensure that each of the tests are prepared for and performed in accordance with the test plan.

ii. The awarded bidder must train Department personnel as appropriate to participate in the testing effort. Unless specified otherwise within the test plan, provide all tools, testing materials, and resources necessary to effectively perform the required tests.

iii. Certify that the System is fully secure for all work provided under this procurement.

d. Acceptance: System acceptance of the solution will occur following:

i. System implementation;

ii. Demonstration that the System successfully provides all the functionality required by the Department; and

iii. The System meets or exceeds the performance standards in the contract.

G. User Training and Documentation

1. The awarded bidder must provide training for State of Maine staff and external users.

a. Offer training to support the needs of both the Department and its user base.

b. Training can be a combination of written, web-based, and instructor-led, (live and/or pre-recorded). Some live training will be required in order to answer questions while viewing the system.

2. The awarded bidder must provide a training plan.

a. The strategy is to develop, implement, and deliver training to Department-identified individuals.

b. Tailored materials.

c. Learning-on-demand opportunities; and

d. Refresher training courses to meet the needs of each stakeholder group.

3. The awarded bidder must provide tooltips and online help functionality to quickly and effectively help users troubleshoot various aspects of the system.

4. The awarded bidder must detail a delivery method for required training content (e.g., webinar, virtual training and virtual learning offerings, and instructor-led classroom-based training) based on a training needs analysis.

5. The awarded bidder must develop all necessary training materials, user manuals, and training sessions for users and technical staff, both for training prior to go-live, as well as for training after go-live.

6. The awarded bidder must provide formal documentation of all training materials, user manuals, and training sessions to the Department.

7. The awarded bidder must provide training to designated State staff, including system administrators and operational users (e.g., ticketing, scheduling, and reporting staff), to support effective use and administration of the system.

8. The awarded bidder must provide comprehensive documentation, including user guides and administrator documentation, describing system configuration, workflows, integrations, and procedures required to operate and maintain the system.

H. Support and Maintenance The Awarded Bidder must:

1. Provide a vendor-hosted solution and be responsible for system hosting, ongoing maintenance, and technical support for both Department staff and external users.

2. Ensure the hosted environment is secure, reliable, and maintained in accordance with applicable State of Maine OIT policies and industry standards.

3. Provide post-implementation software maintenance and technology support for the system for both Agency and external end users.

4. The awarded Bidder shall define support tiers and associated response and resolution times based on issue severity (e.g., low, medium, critical/system outage).

5. Produce and deliver an enhancements, operations, and maintenance plan that: Describes the steps and procedures in operating the system; and

a. Includes standard service-level agreements for system performance and issue resolution.

i. The Service Level Agreement (SLA) includes provisions related to required levels of support.

ii. The Department will also consider options for additional levels of technical support.

6. Implement analytics and usage metrics to track user activity, identify underused pages or abandoned navigation paths, and recommend improvements.

7. Bidder shall describe the product roadmap, including frequency of updates, release processes, and approach to prioritizing enhancements.

8. Awarded Bidder will give the Department at least thirty (30) days advance written notice of any material change in network operations or architecture. A planned material change in network operations or architecture cannot be made without the prior written consent of the Department. A “material change” includes, but is not limited to, a change which is substantial, and which increases response time to inquiries, adds to the complexity of network use, diminishes services provided to users, or results in a comparable impact on operations noticeable by users.

I. Go Live

1. Prepare Production Environment – A distinct production environment will be established within the technology platform and configured with all appropriate back-up and security provisions. This task will be performed during the acceptance testing phase, so the environment is ready for Go Live.

2. Final Production Refresh – Upon completion of acceptance testing, the production environment will be refreshed with the updated code, inclusive of all acceptance test corrections. At the same time a final data migration (including the last round of converted data) will occur and all business processes will be tested.

3. Support Conversion to Live Operations – The awarded Bidder shall provide enhanced support during the initial post–go-live period to address operational issues, user questions, and system adjustments. This support period shall extend for up to ten (10) business days following go-live to ensure a smooth transition to live operations.

4. Support Stabilization Period – Offeror will provide a 180-day stabilization period following Go Live.

PART III KEY RFP EVENTS

A. Vendor Self Service System (VSS)

The Office of State Procurement Services Vendor Self Service System website is found at the link below: https://www.maine.gov/dafs/bbm/procurementservices/vendors/vendor-self-service-system A copy of the RFP and all associated documents will be published in VSS.

Only documents published in VSS will be considered binding.

Any interested party may view open solicitations in VSS using the Public Access feature.

Vendors must have an active User ID and password in VSS to submit questions and respond to solicitations, including this RFP.

Vendor registration instructions and User Guide may be found at the link above, which include steps for searching for an existing account/User ID, or registering for a new account/User ID.

Vendors interested in responding to a solicitation are encouraged to obtain a User ID and password for VSS as soon as possible.

Vendors must have an active Vendor Code (VC or VS) to contract with the department.

B. Questions

1. General Instructions: It is the responsibility of all Bidders and other interested parties to examine the entire RFP and to seek clarification, in writing, if they do not understand any information or instructions.

a. Questions must be submitted in VSS as soon as possible but no later than the date and time published in VSS.

b. Questions should be clearly stated and reference the applicable section and/or page number of the RFP.

c. The Department assumes no liability for assuring accurate/complete/on time transmission and receipt.

2. Question & Answer Summary: Responses to all questions will be compiled in writing and published in VSS no later than seven (7) calendar days prior to the Proposal Submission Deadline. It is the responsibility of all interested parties to go to VSS to obtain a copy of the Question & Answer Summary. Only those answers issued in writing in VSS will be considered binding.

C. Amendments

All amendments released in regard to the RFP will be published in VSS. It is the responsibility of all interested parties to go to VSS to obtain amendments. Only those amendments published in VSS are considered binding.

D. Proposal Submission

1. Proposals Due

a. Proposal submissions must be received no later than the Proposal Submission Deadline (closing date) published in VSS.

b. Any proposal submissions or any additional or revised proposal files received after the Proposal Submission Deadline will be rejected without exception.

2. Delivery Instructions

a. Proposal submissions must be submitted to the Office of State Procurement Services via VSS.

b. Only proposal submissions received via VSS will be considered. The Department assumes no liability for assuring accurate/complete receipt.

c. Submissions containing links to file sharing sites or online file repositories will not be accepted as submissions. Only proposal submissions that have the actual requested files attached will be accepted.

d. Encrypted submissions received which require opening attachments and logging into a proprietary system will not be accepted. Bidders should work with their Information Technology team to ensure that the proposal submission will not be encrypted due to any security settings.

e. File size limits are 15MB per file. Bidders may separate their submissions into multiple files, as necessary, due to file size concerns.

3. Submission Format:

a. Bidders must submit multiple files, with each file named and containing the required information as defined below.

File 1 [Bidder’s Name] – Preliminary Information PDF format preferred, and must include:

· Appendix A (Proposal Cover Page)

· Appendix B (Responsible Bidder Certification)

File 2 [Bidder’s Name] – Organization Qualifications and Experience PDF format preferred, and must include:

· Appendix C (Organization Qualifications and Experience Form)

· Appendix D (Subcontractors Form)

File 3 [Bidder’s Name] – Proposed Services PDF format preferred, and must include:

· Appendix E (Technical Assessment Form)

· Appendix F (Proposed Services Form)

· Appendix G (General/Technical Requirements)

File 4 [Bidder’s Name] – Cost Proposal PDF format preferred, and must include:

· Appendix H (Cost Proposal Form)

PART IV PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

This section contains instructions for Bidders to use in preparing their proposals. The Department seeks detailed yet succinct responses that demonstrate the Bidder’s qualifications, experience, and ability to perform the requirements specified throughout the RFP.

Bidders’ proposals must follow the outline used below, including the numbering, section, and sub-section headings. Failure to use the outline specified in PART IV, or failure to respond to all questions and instructions throughout the RFP, may result in the proposal being disqualified as non-responsive or receiving a reduced score. The Department, and its evaluation team, has sole discretion to determine whether a variance from the RFP specifications will result either in disqualification or reduction in scoring of a proposal. Rephrasing of the content provided in the RFP will, at best, be considered minimally responsive.

Bidders are not to provide additional attachments beyond those specified in the RFP for the purpose of extending their response. Additional materials not requested will not be considered part of the proposal and will not be evaluated. Bidders must include any forms provided in the submission package or reproduce those forms as closely as possible. All information must be presented in the same order and format as described in the RFP.

Proposal Format and Contents

Section I Preliminary Information (File #1)

1. Proposal Cover Page Bidders must complete Appendix A (Proposal Cover Page). It is critical that the cover page show the specific information requested, including Bidder address(es) and other details listed. The Proposal Cover Page must be dated and signed by a person authorized to enter into contracts on behalf of the Bidder.

2. Responsible Bidder Certification Bidders must complete Appendix B (Responsible Bidder Certification). The Responsible Bidder Certification must be dated and signed by a person authorized to enter into contracts on behalf of the Bidder.

Section II Organization Qualifications and Experience (File #2)

1. Overview of the Organization Bidders must complete Appendix C (Qualifications and Experience Form) describing their qualifications and skills to provide the requested services in the RFP. Bidders must include three (3) examples of projects which demonstrate their experience and expertise in performing these services, as well as highlighting the Bidder’s stated qualifications and skills.

Bidder shall provide the names, addresses, and contact information for at least three (3) current or recent clients whose system usage and operational requirements are comparable to those of the Maine State Museum.

2. Subcontractors Bidders must complete Appendix D (Subcontractors Form) to provide a list that specifies the name, address, phone number, contact person, and a brief description of organizational capacity and qualifications for any subcontractors to be used. If no subcontractors will be used, indicate as such on the form.

3. Organizational Chart Bidders must provide an organizational chart. The organizational chart must include the project being proposed. Each position must be identified by position title and corresponding to the personnel job descriptions.

4. Litigation Bidders must attach a list of all current litigation in which the Bidder is named and a list of all closed cases that have closed within the past five (5) years in which the Bidder paid the claimant either as part of a settlement or by decree. For each, list the entity bringing suit, the complaint, the accusation, amount, and outcome.

5. Certificate of Insurance Bidders must provide a certificate of insurance on a standard ACORD form (or the equivalent) evidencing the Bidder’s general liability, professional liability and any other relevant liability insurance policies that might be associated with the proposed services.

Section III Proposed Services (File #3)

1. Technical Assessment Bidders must complete Appendix E (Technical Assessment Form) to describe the Bidder’s capability to meet the stated requirements and policies identified in this RFP.

2. Services to be Provided Bidders must complete Appendix F (Proposed Services Form). In this Proposed Services Form, Bidders must provide the following and note elements that do and do not meet the requirements listed in Part II, Scope of Services to be Provided.

If subcontractors are involved, Bidders must clearly identify the work each will perform, including a description of the methods and resources the Bidder will use and how each task involved will be accomplished. Bidders must also describe how the expectations and/or desired outcomes as a result of these services will be achieved.

3. General/ Technical Requirements Bidders must complete Appendix G (General/Technical Requirements Form) to describe the Bidder’s capability to meet the stated requirements and policies identified in this RFP.

4. Implementation - Work Plan Bidders must provide a realistic work plan for the implementation of the program through the first contract period. The work plan must be displayed in a timeline chart, and concisely describe each program development and implementation task, the month it will be carried out, and the person or position responsible for each task. If applicable, Bidders must identify all tasks to be delegated to subcontractors.

The awarded bidder must implement the solution within the Production Environment and work with the Department to help transition users to the new System. The Department will consider accepting the solution in major stages, as successfully tested. However, the final acceptance of the System will be based on overall end-to-end testing of the entire System.

The Bidder shall describe the implementation approach and methodology, including a sample implementation plan and estimated timeline for a similar organization. The Bidder shall also identify any client-side requirements (e.g., supported browsers, devices, or peripheral equipment such as scanners or receipt printers), if applicable.

Provide all documentation related to the scope of work described in this RFP.

a. Planning:

i. Create an Implementation Plan that identifies the approach that will be taken and the critical tasks that will be involved with implementing the solution.

ii. Schedule and coordinate all implementation activities to ensure that the work is performed in accordance with the Implementation Plan.

b. System Design and Analysis:

i. Ensure the System design and analysis activities accomplish and meet all requirements listed in this RFP.

ii. Utilize methodologies that allow for multiple opportunities to validate and approve requirements and design.

c. Resources: The awarded bidder must provide all tools, equipment, materials, and resources necessary to effectively perform the required work tasks.

d. Technical Documentation: The awarded bidder must create and provide the Department with all technical documents and related manuals, which will be reviewed and accepted prior to implementation.

e. Advisory Review During Implementation: The awarded bidder must conduct iterative demonstrations or walkthroughs with the Department during implementation to confirm alignment with requirements and allow for validation of system configuration and functionality.

Section IV Cost Proposal (File #4)

1. Cost Proposal Form Bidders must complete Appendix H (Cost Proposal Form).

2. General Instructions

a. The cost proposal must include the costs necessary for the Bidder to fully comply with the contract terms, conditions, and RFP requirements.

b. No costs related to the preparation of the proposal for the RFP, or to the negotiation of the contract with the Department, may be included in the proposal. Only costs to be incurred after the contract effective date that are specifically related to the implementation or operation of contracted services may be included.

PART V PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND SELECTION

Evaluation of the submitted proposals will be accomplished as follows:

A. Evaluation Process – General Information

1. An evaluation team, composed of qualified reviewers, will judge the merits of the proposals received in accordance with the criteria defined in the RFP.

2. Officials responsible for making decisions on the award selection will ensure that the selection process accords equal opportunity and appropriate consideration to all who are capable of meeting the specifications. The goals of the evaluation process are to ensure fairness and objectivity in review of the proposals and to ensure that the contract is awarded to the Bidder whose proposal provides the best value to the State of Maine.

3. The Department reserves the right to communicate and/or schedule interviews/presentations with Bidders, if needed, to obtain clarification of information contained in the proposals received. The Department may revise the scores assigned in the initial evaluation to reflect those communications and/or interviews/presentations.

4. Demonstrations: The RFP Coordinator may contact Bidders to request, at their own expense, a webinar demonstration and to arrange the details of the demonstration. Demonstrations will be limited to sixty (60) minutes and shall include a demonstration of the requirements and services outlined in Part II of the RFP and allow the evaluation team to ask questions and receive answers. Demonstrations are anticipated to occur during the week of July 13, 2026, between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. local time.

Members of the evaluation team will arrive at a consensus regarding the degree to which the proposed solution meets the requirements of this RFP. Based on this consensus, the post-demonstration Proposed Services score may be adjusted (upward or downward) based on the demonstrations and according to the scoring weights described in Part V.B. of this RFP.

5. Changes to proposals, including updating or adding information, will not be permitted during any portion of the evaluation process. Therefore, Bidders must submit proposals that present their rates and other requested information as clearly and completely as possible.

B. Scoring Weights and Process

1. Scoring Weights: Proposal scores will be based on a 100-point scale and will measure the degree to which each proposal meets the following criteria. The proposal materials that will be evaluated under each section below are identified in Part IV of the RFP.

1. Acquisition – 15 points

2. Maintenance – 15 points

2. Scoring Process: For proposals that demonstrate meeting the eligibility requirements in Section I, if applicable, the evaluation team will use a consensus approach to evaluate and score Sections II & III above. Members of the evaluation team will not score those sections individually but, instead, will arrive at a consensus as to assignment of points for each of those sections. Section IV, the Cost Proposal, will be scored as described below.

3. Scoring the Cost Proposal: The total cost proposed for conducting all the functions specified in the RFP will be assigned a score according to a mathematical formula. The lowest bid will be awarded 30 Points. Proposals with higher bid values will be awarded proportionately fewer points calculated in comparison with the lowest bid.

The scoring formula is:

(Lowest Acquisition submitted cost proposal / Acquisition Cost of proposal being scored) x 15 Points = pro-rated score

(Lowest Maintenance submitted cost proposal / Maintenance Cost of proposal being scored) x 15 Points = pro-rated score

No Best and Final Offers: The State of Maine will not seek or accept a best and final offer (BAFO) from any Bidder in this procurement process. All Bidders are expected to provide their best value pricing with the submission of their proposal.

C. Negotiations

1. The Department reserves the right to negotiate with the awarded Bidder(s) to finalize a contract. Such negotiations may not significantly vary the content, nature, or requirements of the proposal or the Department’s Request for Proposal to an extent that may affect the price of goods or services requested.

2. The Department reserves the right to terminate contract negotiations with an awarded Bidder who submits a proposed contract significantly different from the proposal they submitted in response to the advertised RFP.

3. In the event that an acceptable contract cannot be negotiated with the highest ranked Bidder, the Department may withdraw its award and negotiate with the next-highest ranked Bidder, and so on, until an acceptable contract has been finalized. Alternatively, the Department may cancel the RFP, at its sole discretion.

D. Selection and Award

1. The final decision regarding the award of the contract will be made by representatives of the Department subject to approval by the State Procurement Review Committee.

2. Notification of conditional award selection or non-selection will be made in writing by the Department.

3. Issuance of the RFP in no way constitutes a commitment by the State of Maine to award a contract, to pay costs incurred in the preparation of a response to the RFP, or to pay costs incurred in procuring or contracting for services, supplies, physical space, personnel or any other costs incurred by the Bidder.

4. The Department reserves the right to reject any and all proposals or to make multiple awards.

E. Appeal of Contract Awards

Any person aggrieved by the award decision that results from the RFP may appeal the decision to the Director of the Bureau of General Services in the manner prescribed in 5 M.R.S.A. § 1825-E and 18-554 Code of Maine Rules Chapter 120. The appeal must be in writing and filed with the Director of the Bureau of General Services, 9 State House Station, Augusta, Maine, 04333-0009 within fifteen (15) calendar days of receipt of notification of conditional contract award.

PART VI CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION AND CONDITIONS

A. Contract Document

1. The awarded Bidder will be required to execute an IT Service Contract (IT-SC) with Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) including appropriate riders as determined by the issuing department. Bidders shall carefully review the IT-SC.

All exceptions will be negotiated between the awarded Bidder(s) and the State. The State will not accept any proposed exceptions as part of this RFP process. The State is not obligated to accept, negotiate, or compromise of any proposed exceptions.

The complete set of standard State of Maine Service Contract documents, along with other forms and contract documents commonly used by the State, may be found on the Office of State Procurement Services’ website at the following link: Office of .

2. Allocation of funds is final upon successful negotiation and execution of the contract, subject to the review and approval of the State Procurement Review Committee. Contracts are not considered fully executed and valid until approved by the State Procurement Review Committee and funds are encumbered. No contract will be approved based on an RFP which has an effective date less than fourteen (14) calendar days after award notification to Bidders. (Referenced in the regulations of the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Chapter 110, § 3(B)(i).)

This provision means that a contract cannot be effective until at least fourteen (14) calendar days after award notification.

3. The State recognizes that the actual contract effective date depends upon completion of the RFP process, date of…