RFP-30-25095-DPH NC Breast Feeding Hotline Final.docx

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO.

Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health Contract Name: Breastfeeding Hotline

Bid Opening Date: 02/28/2025

Refer ALL inquiries regarding this RFP to:

Name: Anthony Benzor Email: Anthony.Benzor@dhhs.nc.gov

Issue Date: 01/06/2025

Commodity Code: 851222

Purchasing Agency: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health

Requisition No.:

OFFER

The Purchasing Agency solicits offers for Services and/or goods described in this solicitation. All offers and responses received shall be treated as Offers to contract as defined in 9 NCAC 06A.0102(12).

EXECUTION

In compliance with this Request for Proposal (RFP), and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned offers and agrees to furnish any or all Services or goods upon which prices are offered, at the price(s) offered herein, within the time specified herein.

Failure to execute/sign offer prior to submittal shall render offer invalid. Late offers are not acceptable.

OFFEROR:

Offer valid for one hundred twenty (120) days from date of offer opening unless otherwise stated here: ____ days

ACCEPTANCE OF OFFER

If any or all parts of this offer are accepted, an authorized representative of North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health shall affix its signature hereto and any subsequent Request for Best and Final Offer, if issued. Acceptance shall create a contract having an order of precedence as follows: Best and Final Offers, if any, Special terms and conditions specific to this RFP, Specifications of the RFP, the Department of Information Technology Terms and Conditions, NCDHHS Terms and Conditions and the agreed portion of the awarded Vendor’s Offer. A copy of this acceptance will be forwarded to the awarded Vendor(s).

FOR PURCHASING AGENCY USE ONLY

Offer accepted and contract awarded this date_____________, as indicated on attached certification, by (Authorized representative of Purchasing Department of Health and Human Service).

Table of Contents

2 NC DPH Breastfeeding RFP

1.0 ANTICIPATED Procurement Schedule

The Agency Procurement Agent will make every effort to adhere to the following schedule:

Agency’s Response to Written Questions/ RFP Addendum Issued

Opening of the RFP can be access at the below link on the offer opening deadline mentioned above:

HTTPS://TEAMS.MICROSOFT.COM/L/MEETUP-JOIN/19%3AMEETING_NMU2MTU1ZGMTYZI3NI00NZAXLWIYMJQTYJQ5YMVMZJY3MTJI%40THREAD.V2/0?CONTEXT=%7B%22TID%22%3A%227A7681DC-B9D0-449A-85C3-ECC26CD7ED19%22%2C%22OID%22%3A%228A75060E-8BE0-4692-9CF8-01CAB64F28DD%22%7D

2.0 Purpose of RFP

2.1 Introduction

The purpose of this RFP is to solicit offers for a twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week, centralized, statewide breastfeeding hotline and textline to expand breastfeeding support to all families in the State of North Carolina (the “Solution”). The Solution will provide accessible, consistent breastfeeding support via phone calls and text messaging, as well as facilitate referrals to local resources including, but not limited to, the North Carolina Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program and the North Carolina Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program. The Solution will allow parents to access professional lactation support regardless of their geographic location or financial means and at critical times when parents are vulnerable to misinformation and immediately when needed and useful, such as when struggling to breastfeed at home.

2.2 Agency Background

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health (“DPH” or “Division”) works to protect the public's health across North Carolina and helps shape positive health outcomes for North Carolinians. Within the Division, the Women, Infant, and Community Wellness Section (WICWS) develops and promotes programs and services that protect the health and well-being of infants and of women during their child-bearing years. The goal is to improve the overall health of women, reduce infant sickness and death, and strengthen families and communities.

2.3 SUMMARY OF PROBLEM Statement

Breastfeeding is a well-documented protector of infant and maternal health. The American Academy for Pediatrics currently recommends exclusive breastfeeding for approximately 6 months followed by continued breastfeeding with complementary foods for at least 2 years and beyond as mutually desired. Successful breastfeeding requires support from trained individuals with established relationships in the health care community who are flexible enough to meet mothers’ needs outside of traditional work hours and locations and provide consistent information.

Despite growing evidence about these benefits, breastfeeding rates in North Carolina continue to remain low. Available breastfeeding data sources document a disparity between racial and ethnic groups, with lower breastfeeding rates among minority populations in North Carolina. Accessibility of the limited number of available International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) is further complicated by geographic location, as greater than 50% of North Carolina’s counties are without any outpatient IBCLC services. Even when outpatient IBCLC services are available, Medicaid beneficiaries may be limited due to prohibitive financial cost.

Implementation of a statewide breastfeeding hotline and textline staffed by IBCLCs and Certified Lactation Counselors (CLCs) accessible 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, will provide flexible and consistent access to evidence-based lactation support during the prenatal and postpartum period. The statewide breastfeeding hotline and textline would allow parents to access comprehensive support regardless of their geographic location or financial means at critical times when pediatric and obstetric offices may not be available or have limited expertise to adequately support breastfeeding success.

This is the first breastfeeding hotline and textline implemented by the State of North Carolina. A state similar in size to NC, with an established breastfeeding hotline, receives approximately 400 calls per month on average. The quantities of calls and texts listed in the optional cost tables of this RFP are estimates only. The State has no historical data on which to base anticipated call and text quantities.

2.4 Contract Term

A contract awarded pursuant to this RFP shall have an effective date as provided in the Notice of Award. The term shall be two (2) years and will expire upon the anniversary date of the effective date unless otherwise stated in the Notice of Award, or unless terminated earlier. The State retains the option to extend the Agreement for three (3) 1-year periods at its sole discretion.

2.5 Effective Date

This solicitation, including any Exhibits, or any resulting contract or amendment shall not become effective nor bind the State until the appropriate State purchasing authority/official or Agency official has signed the document(s), contract or amendment; the effective award date has been completed on the document(s), by the State purchasing official, and that date has arrived or passed. The State shall not be responsible for reimbursing the Vendor for goods provided nor Services rendered prior to the appropriate signatures and the arrival of the effective date of the Agreement. No contract shall be binding on the State until an encumbrance of funds has been made for payment of the sums due under the Agreement.

2.6 Contract Type

Indefinite Quantity Agency Specific Contract – Pursuant to 9 NCAC 6B.0701, this solicitation will establish an indefinite quantity agency specific contract between a Vendor and the State. The quantity of Goods or Services that may be used by the State is undetermined. An estimated quantity based on history or other means may be used as a guide but shall not be a representation by the State of any anticipated purchase volume under any contract made pursuant to this solicitation.

The State reserves the right to make partial, progressive or multiple awards where it is advantageous to award separately by items; where more than one supplier is needed to provide the contemplated specifications as to quantity, quality, delivery, service, geographical areas; or where other factors are deemed to be necessary or proper to the purchase in question.

3.0 RFP requirements and Specifications

3.1 General requirements and Specifications

3.1.1 REQUIREMENTS

Requirement means, as used herein, a function, feature, or performance that the System must provide. If the offer cannot meet the requirements, they will not be evaluated.

3.1.2 Specifications

Specification means, as used herein, a detailed description that documents the function and performance of a system or system component.

The apparent silence of the specifications as to any detail, or the apparent omission of detailed description concerning any point, shall be regarded as meaning that only the best commercial practice is to prevail and that only processes, configurations, materials and workmanship of the first quality may be used. Upon any notice of noncompliance provided by the State, Vendor shall supply proof of compliance with the specifications. Vendor must provide written notice of its intent to deliver alternate or substitute Services, products, goods or other Deliverables. Alternate or substitute Services, products, goods or Deliverables may be accepted or rejected in the sole discretion of the State; and any such alternates or substitutes must be accompanied by Vendor’s certification and evidence satisfactory to the State that the function, characteristics, performance and endurance will be equal or superior to the original Deliverables specified.

3.1.3 Site and System Preparation

Vendors should provide the Purchasing State Agency complete site requirement specifications for the Deliverables, if any. These specifications shall ensure that the Deliverables to be installed or implemented shall operate properly and efficiently within the site and system environment. Any alterations or modifications in site preparation, which are directly attributable to incomplete or erroneous specifications provided by the Vendor and which would involve additional expenses to the State, shall be made at the expense of the Vendor.

3.1.4 Equivalent Items

Whenever a material, article or piece of equipment is identified in the specification(s) by reference to a manufacturer’s or Vendor’s name, trade name, catalog number or similar identifier, it is intended to establish a standard for determining substantial conformity during evaluation, unless otherwise specifically stated as a brand specific requirement (no substitute items will be allowed). Any material, article or piece of equipment of other manufacturers or Vendors shall perform to the standard of the item named. Equivalent offers must be accompanied by sufficient descriptive literature and/or specifications to provide for detailed comparison.

3.1.5 enterprise Licensing-RESERVED

3.2 Security Specifications

3.2.1 Solutions Hosted on State Infrastructure-RESERVED

3.2.2 Solutions Not Hosted on State Infrastructure

The Breastfeeding Hotline will be required to receive and securely manage data that is classified as low- risk. Refer to the North Carolina Statewide Data Classification and Handling policy for more information regarding data classification. The policy is located at the following website: https://it.nc.gov/document/statewide-data-classification-and-handling-policy.

To comply with the State’s Security Standards and Policies, State agencies are required to perform annual security/risk assessments on their information systems using NIST 800-53 controls. This requirement additionally applies to all Vendor-provided, agency-managed Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions which will handle data classified as Medium Risk (Restricted) or High Risk (Highly Restricted) data.

(i) Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) certification, SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, or HITRUST are the preferred assessment reports for any Vendor solutions which will handle data classified as Medium Risk (Restricted) or High Risk (Highly Restricted).

(ii) A Vendor that cannot provide a preferred independent 3rd party assessment report as described above may submit an alternative assessment, such as a SOC 2 Type 1 assessment report. The Vendor shall provide an explanation for submitting the alternative assessment report. If awarded this contract, a Vendor who submits an alternative assessment report shall submit one of the preferred assessment reports no later than 365 days of the Effective Date of the contract. Timely submission of this preferred assessment report shall be a material requirement of the contract.

(iii) An IaaS vendor cannot provide a certification or assessment report for a SaaS provider UNLESS permitted by the terms of a written agreement between the two vendors and the scope of the IaaS certification or assessment report clearly includes the SaaS solution.

(c) Additional Security Documentation. Prior to contract award, the State may in its discretion require the Vendor to provide additional security documentation, including but not limited to vulnerability assessment reports and penetration test reports. The awarded Vendor shall provide such additional security documentation upon request by the State during the term of the contract.

3.3 Enterprise Specifications

3.3.1 ARCHITECTURE DIAGRAMS – RESERVED

3.3.2 SOLUTION ROADMAP – RESERVED

3.3.3 IDENTITY AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT – RESERVED

3.3.4 INTEGRATION APPROACH – RESERVED

3.3.5 DISASTER RECOVERY AND BUSINESS CONTINUITY

Describe the Vendor’s capabilities related to the following areas:

Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) – describe how the Vendor supports Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) and Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) metrics, and how frequently the Vendor tests for end-to-end disaster recovery.

System Backup – describe the Vendor’s backup plan when there is a disruption to business continuity.

3.3.6 DATA MIGRATION-RESERVED

3.3.7 APPLICATION MANAGEMENT – RESERVED

3.3.8 ACCESSIBILITY-RESERVED

3.3.9 ENTERPRISE, SERVICES, AND STANDARDS – RESERVED

3.4 Business and Technical Requirements - reserved

3.5 Business and Technical Specifications

Describe in detail your proposed Solution’s ability to accomplish each of the following specifications, providing a narrative response, including screenshots as appropriate, detailing how the proposed Solution accomplishes each specification outlined below, including capabilities, features, or limitations of the Solution. As applicable, describe any configurations or customizations needed to the Solution to meet a particular specification.

3.5.1 Organization Capacity

3.5.1.1 Describe how the Vendor will develop and implement a statewide telephone and text-based Solution which will be available to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays.

3.5.1.2 Describe how the Solution will provide interpretive services for languages such as Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, Hmong and Creole and be accessible to the hearing impaired.

3.5.1.3 Describe the process and timeframe in which the Vendor will return missed calls and address texts in a manner.

3.5.1.4 Describe how the Vendor will deliver services with Cultural Humility through the Solution.

3.5.1.5 Describe how the Solution will address the different needs of callers including lactating people, their families, partners, and expectant parents.

3.5.1.6 Describe how Vendor will comply fully with the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and relevant World Health Assembly resolutions detailed in Appendix 1.

3.5.1.7 Describe how the Vendor will monitor peak call volume times and adjust as needed in order to provide live call responses by currently certified IBCLCs or CLCs with a minimum of one IBCLC available to answer calls twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays.

3.5.1.8 Describe how the Vendor will incorporate an IBCLC practicum internship for students of minority-serving institutions, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

3.5.1.9 Describe the Vendor’s staffing plan. Include details about hiring and retaining supervisors who are currently IBCLCs and phone staff currently certified as an IBCLC or CLC, with at least 2 years of experience providing lactation support. Describe the type of knowledge and work experience you would require from those hired.

3.5.1.10 Describe how the Vendor will ensure that consistent information is provided by hotline staff.

3.5.1.11 Describe the Vendor’s proposed implementation schedule, including milestones, throughout implementation of the Solution. Include a timeline.

3.5.2 Data Collection, Tracking, Impact Measurement and Quality Assurance

3.5.2.1 Describe how the Solution will accurately track and produce reports on the number of calls, time and date of the call, provider(s) who took the call, escalations required, length of the call, main reason for call, plan of care given in call, and details of any referrals made in call.

3.5.2.2 Describe how the system will accurately track and produce reports on the number and types of callers, call patterns by time of day, day of week, and month.

3.5.2.3 Describe how the Solution will capture and report caller demographic data and specific data points of individual callers including but not limited to:

· Caller’s state of residence.

· Caller’s county of residence.

· How the caller heard about the Solution.

· If it is the caller’s first time calling.

· If not, is the call for the same issue as the previous call?

· If not, is the call about the same lactating child or a different child?

· Caller’s relationship to the lactating mother.

· Lactating child’s age.

· Lactating mother’s age.

· Lactating mother’s race.

· Lactating mother’s ethnicity.

· Is the lactating mother currently enrolled in WIC?

· Is the lactating mother: Uninsured? Enrolled in Medicaid? Privately insured?

3.5.2.4 Describe any other types of demographic data and specific data points of individual callers which the Solution can track and report.

3.5.2.5 Describe how the Vendor will track incoming calls and texts including number of calls/texts, type of issues/problems, number of infants in Low Income families served.

3.5.2.6 Describe how the Vendor will track and follow up on breastfeeding solutions provided to callers to ensure issue resolution and survey user satisfaction.

3.5.2.7 Describe how the Vendor will perform quarterly quality assurance checks to measure performance including wait time for callers, number of calls answered live, number of text messages sent and/or received, and accuracy of information provided by the staff.

3.5.2.8 Describe how the Vendor will monitor quality assurance through customer surveys at 4, 8, and 12 weeks after the initial call including checks on problem resolution, current infant feeding practices and satisfaction with the service provided.

3.5.2.9 Describe how the Solution will provide detailed reporting using de-identified data about the key outcomes of the Solution including data about: call volume, dropped/abandoned calls, call backs within 30 minutes, analysis of client intake characteristics, issues and solutions provided, outcomes by breastfeeding status, etc.

3.5.3 System Capacity

3.5.3.1 Describe how the Vendor will assure core functionality to provide qualified personnel, adequate facilities, and equipment necessary to provide a toll-free telephone, supporting both voice and text messaging services.

3.5.3.2 Describe how Vendor shall ensure that all calls from the hotline to individuals will be identified as North Carolina Breastfeeding Hotline or [XXX-XXX-XXXX] via Caller ID.

3.5.3.3 Describe how the Solution will be able to handle multiple, simultaneous incoming and outgoing calls with Spanish bilingual TTY capability and standard Video Relay Service for the deaf and hard of hearing community.

3.5.3.4 Describe how the Solution will utilize automated services such as automatic call answering extensions for particular services (e.g. dial 1 for resource materials) in order to channel callers to the most appropriate trained staff, while also ensuring the system is easy to use and quickly connects them to a live person who can provide the requested services.

3.5.3.5 Describe how the Solution will support scalable communications, automatic call distribution functionality, real-time monitoring of overall activity as well as individual calls, collections, analysis and reporting of data, and telephony integration allowing information exchange between voice and data systems.

3.5.3.6 Describe how the Vendor will account for changes in call volume in response to marketing efforts, holidays, public health concerns, and changes in government policy.

3.5.3.7 The Agency wants to own the hotline and texting numbers for the Solution. Describe how this can be accomplished and how the Vendor will ensure the hotline and texting numbers are transferable back to the Agency upon the end of the contract.

3.5.3.8 Describe how Vendor’s Solution will store, maintain, and process the data collected by the Vendor in Vendor’s provision of the hotline and textline, including descriptions of Vendor’s computer systems, software, or cloud-hosted services, as applicable.

3.5.4 Service Level agreement

3.5.4.1 Describe the Service Level Agreement which the Vendor will provide for this Solution.

3.5.4.2 Attach the Service Level Agreement in the Vendor’s offer.

3.5.5 Delivery Protocols

3.5.5.1 Describe how the Vendor will ensure that support aligns with the guidelines set forth by the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine and the National Institutes of Health LactMed website regarding drugs and lactation.

3.5.5.2 Describe what protocols the Vendor will have in place to address calls received related to medical diagnoses, emergencies, or calls outside the scope of practice for the staff.

3.5.5.3 Describe how the Vendor will provide local, appropriate, and up to date information and referrals based on knowledge of services available within the state of NC with special consideration given to providing accessible and culturally appropriate referrals.

3.5.5.4 Describe how the Vendor will ensure that the most recent version of the North Carolina Breastfeeding Coalition’s county-based lactation resource list is used when referring callers.

4.0 Cost of Vendor’s Offer

4.1 Offer Costs

The Vendor must list, itemize, and describe any applicable offer costs in ATTACHMENT E: COST FORM.

4.2 Payment Schedule

The Vendor shall propose its itemized payment schedule based on the content of its offer. All payments must be based upon acceptance of one or more Deliverables.

5.0 Evaluation

5.1 Source Selection

A trade-off/ranking method of source selection will be utilized in this procurement to allow the State to award this RFP to the Vendor providing the Best Value and recognizing that Best Value may result in award other than the lowest price or highest technically qualified offer. By using this method, the overall ranking may be adjusted up or down when considered with or traded-off against other non-price factors.

a) Evaluation Process Explanation. State Agency employees will review all offers. All offers will be initially classified as being responsive or non-responsive. If an offer is found non-responsive, it will not be considered further. All responsive offers will be evaluated based on stated evaluation criteria. Any references in an answer to another location in the RFP materials or Offer shall have specific page numbers and sections stated in the reference.

b) To be eligible for consideration, Vendor’s offer must substantially conform to the intent of all specifications. Compliance with the intent of all specifications will be determined by the State. Offers that do not meet the full intent of all specifications listed in this RFP may be deemed deficient. Further, a serious deficiency in the offer to any one (1) factor may be grounds for rejection regardless of overall score.

c) The evaluation committee may request clarifications, an interview with or presentation from any or all Vendors as allowed by 9 NCAC 06B.0307. However, the State may refuse to accept, in full or partially, the response to a clarification request given by any Vendor. Vendors are cautioned that the evaluators are not required to request clarifications; therefore, all offers should be complete and reflect the most favorable terms. Vendors should be prepared to send qualified personnel to Raleigh, North Carolina, to discuss technical and contractual aspects of the offer.

d) Vendors are advised that the State is not obligated to ask for, or accept after the closing date for receipt of offer, data that is essential for a complete and thorough evaluation of the offer.

5.2 Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation shall include best value, as the term is defined in N.C.G.S. § 143-135.9(a)(1), compliance with information technology project management policies as defined by N.C.G.S. §143B-1340, compliance with information technology security standards and policies, substantial conformity with the specifications, and other conditions set forth in the solicitation. The following Evaluation Criteria are listed in Order of Importance.

How well the Vendor’s offer conforms with the solicitation and specifications in Section 3.0 and related Appendices of this RFP.

How well each Vendor’s offer compares with other Vendors’ offers.

Vendor Schedule / Timeline for implementing the Solution.

Vendor’s performance of work similar in scope, magnitude, effort, and complexity similar to this solicitation, including strength of references as identified by the Vendor using Attachment H: References. Vendor’s organization, personnel, and experience substantiates its qualifications and capabilities to provide the Solution described in this RFP. The Vendor may be disqualified from any evaluation or award if the Vendor or any key personnel proposed has previously failed to perform satisfactorily during the performance of any contract with the State, or violated rules or statutes applicable to public bidding in the State.

Total Cost of Ownership.

Risks associated with Vendor’s offer, including errata and exceptions to the State’s terms and conditions and any submitted Vendor Agreements.

5.3 Best and Final Offers (BAFO)

The State may establish a competitive range based upon evaluations of offers, and request BAFOs from the Vendor(s) within this range; e.g. “Finalist Vendor(s)”. If negotiations or subsequent offers are solicited, the Vendor(s) shall provide BAFO(s) in response. Failure to deliver a BAFO when requested shall disqualify the non-responsive Vendor from further consideration. The State will evaluate BAFO(s), oral presentations, and product demonstrations as part of the Vendors’ respective offers to determine the final rankings.

5.4 POSSESSION AND REVIEW

During the evaluation period and prior to award, possession of the bids and accompanying information is limited to personnel of the issuing agency, and to the committee responsible for participating in the evaluation. Vendors who attempt to gain this privileged information, or to influence the evaluation process (i.e. assist in evaluation) will be in violation of purchasing rules and their offer will not be further evaluated or considered.

After award of contract the complete bid file will be available to any interested persons with the exception of trade secrets, test information or similar proprietary information as provided by statute and rule. Any proprietary or confidential information, which conforms to exclusions from public records as provided by N.C.G.S. §132-1.2 must be clearly marked as such in the offer when submitted.

6.0 Vendor Information and Instructions

6.1 General Conditions of Offer

6.1.1 Vendor Responsibility

It shall be the Vendor’s responsibility to read this entire document, review all enclosures and attachments, and comply with all specifications, requirements and the State’s intent as specified herein. If a Vendor discovers an inconsistency, error or omission in this solicitation, the Vendor should request a clarification from the State’s contact person.

The Vendor will be responsible for investigating and recommending the most effective and efficient solution. Consideration shall be given to the stability of the proposed configuration and the future direction of technology, confirming to the best of its ability that the recommended approach is not short lived. Several approaches may exist for hardware configurations, other products and any software. The Vendor must provide a justification for their proposed hardware, product and software solution(s) along with costs thereof. Vendors are encouraged to present explanations of benefits and merits of their proposed solutions together with any accompanying Services, maintenance, warranties, value added Services or other criteria identified herein.

6.1.2 Rights Reserved

While the State has every intention to award a contract as a result of this RFP, issuance of the RFP in no way constitutes a commitment by the State of North Carolina, or the procuring Agency, to award a contract. Upon determining that any of the following would be in its best interests, the State may:

a) waive any formality;

b) amend the solicitation;

c) cancel or terminate this RFP;

d) reject any or all offers received in response to this RFP;

e) waive any undesirable, inconsequential, or inconsistent provisions of this RFP;

f) if the response to this solicitation demonstrate a lack of competition, negotiate directly with one or more Vendors;

g) not award, or if awarded, terminate any contract if the State determines adequate State funds are not available; or

h) if all offers are found non-responsive, determine whether Waiver of Competition criteria may be satisfied, and if so, negotiate with one or more known sources of supply.

6.1.3 Solicitation amendments or revisions

Any and all amendments or revisions to this document shall be made by written addendum from the Agency Procurement Office. If either a unit price or extended price is obviously in error and the other is obviously correct, the incorrect price will be disregarded.

6.1.4 Oral Explanations

The State will not be bound by oral explanations or instructions given at any time during the bidding process or after award. Vendor contact regarding this RFP with anyone other than the State’s contact person may be grounds for rejection of said Vendor’s offer. Agency contact regarding this RFP with any Vendor may be grounds for cancellation of this RFP.

6.1.5 E-PROCUREMENT

This is not an E-Procurement solicitation. See ATTACHMENT B, paragraph #38 of the attached North Carolina Department of Information Technology Terms and Conditions.

The Terms and Conditions made part of this solicitation contain language necessary for the implementation of North Carolina’s statewide E-Procurement initiative. It is the Vendor’s responsibility to read these terms and conditions carefully and to consider them in preparing the offer. By signature, the Vendor acknowledges acceptance of all terms and conditions including those related to E-Procurement.

a) General information on the E-Procurement service can be found at http://eprocurement.nc.gov/

b) Within two days after notification of award of a contract, the Vendor must register in NC E-Procurement @ Your Service at the following website: http://eprocurement.nc.gov/Vendor.html

c) As of the RFP submittal date, the Vendor must be current on all E-Procurement fees. If the Vendor is not current on all E-Procurement fees, the State may disqualify the Vendor from participation in this RFP.

6.1.6 ELECTRONIC VENDOR PORTAL (EVP)

The State has implemented the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP) that allow the public to retrieve award notices and information on the Internet at https://evp.nc.gov. https://www.ips.state.nc.us/ips/ Results may be found by searching by Solicitation Number or agency name. This information may not be available for several weeks dependent upon the complexity of the acquisition and the length of time to complete the evaluation process.

6.1.7 PROTEST PROCEDURES

Protests of awards exceeding $25,000 in value must be submitted to the issuing Agency at the address given on the first page of this document. Protests must be received in the purchasing agency’s office within fifteen (15) calendar days from the date of this RFP award and provide specific reasons and any supporting documentation for the protest. All protests are governed by Title 9, Department of Information Technology (formerly Office of Information Technology Services), Subchapter 06B Sections .1101 - .1121.

6.2 General Instructions for Vendor

6.2.1 SITE VISIT OR PRE-OFFER CONFERENCE. RESERVED.

6.2.2 QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE RFP

All inquiries regarding the solicitation specifications or requirements are to be addressed to the contact person listed on Page One of this solicitation via the Ariba Sourcing Tool’s message board. Vendor contact regarding this Solicitation with anyone other than the contact person listed on Page One of this Solicitation may be grounds for rejection of said Vendor’s offer.

Written questions concerning this Solicitation will be received until 01/17/2025 at _2 pm Eastern Time.

They must be submitted to the contact person listed on Page One of this Solicitation via the Ariba Sourcing Tool’s message board. Please enter “Questions Solicitation XXXX” as the subject for the message.

RFP Section, Page Number

6.2.3 ADDENDUM TO RFP

If a pre-offer conference is held or written questions are received prior to the submission date, an addendum comprising questions submitted and responses to such questions, or any additional terms deemed necessary by the State shall become an Addendum to this RFP and provided via the State’s Ariba Sourcing Tool. Vendors’ questions posed orally at any pre-offer conference must be reduced to writing by the Vendor and provided to the Purchasing Officer as directed by said Officer. Oral answers are not binding on the State.

Critical updated information may be included in these Addenda. It is important that all Vendors bidding on this RFP periodically check the State’s Sourcing Tool for all Addenda that may be issued prior to the offer opening date.

6.2.4 COSTS related to OFFER SUBMISSION

Costs for developing and delivering responses to this RFP and any subsequent presentations of the offer as requested by the State are entirely the responsibility of the Vendor. The State is not liable for any expense incurred by the Vendors in the preparation and presentation of their offers.

All materials submitted in response to this RFP become the property of the State and are to be appended to any formal documentation, which would further define or expand any contractual relationship between the State and the Vendor resulting from this RFP process.

6.2.5 VENDOR ERRATA AND EXCEPTIONS

Any errata or exceptions to the State’s requirements and specifications may be presented on a separate page labeled “Exceptions to Requirements and Specifications”. Include references to the corresponding requirements and specifications of the Solicitation. Any deviations shall be explained in detail. The Vendor shall not construe this paragraph as inviting deviation or implying that any deviation will be acceptable. Offers of alternative or non-equivalent goods or services may be rejected if not found substantially conforming; and if offered, must be supported by independent documentary verification that the offer substantially conforms to the specified goods or services specification. If a vendor materially deviates from RFP requirements or specifications, its offer may be determined to be non-responsive by the State.

Offers conditioned upon acceptance of Vendor Errata or Exceptions may be determined to be non-responsive by the State.

6.2.6 ALTERNATE OFFERS

The Vendor may submit alternate offers for various levels of service(s) or products meeting specifications. Alternate offers must specifically identify the RFP specifications and advantage(s) addressed by the alternate offer. Any alternate offers must be clearly marked with the legend as shown herein. Each offer must be for a specific set of Services or products and offer at specific pricing. If a Vendor chooses to respond with various service or product offerings, each must be an offer with a different price and a separate RFP offer. Vendors may also provide multiple offers for software or systems coupled with support and maintenance options, provided, however, all offers must satisfy the specifications.

Alternate offers must be submitted in a separate document and clearly marked “Alternate Offer for ‘name of Vendor’” and numbered sequentially with the first offer if separate offers are submitted.

6.2.7 MODIFICATIONS TO OFFER

An offer may not be unilaterally modified by the Vendor.

6.2.8 BASIS FOR REJECTION

Pursuant to 9 NCAC 06B.0401, the State reserves the right to reject any and all offers, in whole or in part; by deeming the offer unsatisfactory as to quality or quantity, delivery, price or service offered; non-compliance with the specifications or intent of this solicitation; lack of competitiveness; error(s) in specifications or indications that revision would be advantageous to the State; cancellation or other changes in the intended project, or other determination that the proposed specification is no longer needed; limitation or lack of available funds; circumstances that prevent determination of the best offer; or any other determination that rejection would be in the best interest of the State.

6.2.9 NON-RESPONSIVE OFFERS

Vendor offers will be deemed non-responsive by the State and will be rejected without further consideration or evaluation if statements such as the following are included:

1. “This offer does not constitute a binding offer”,

1. “This offer will be valid only if this offer is selected as a finalist or in the competitive range”,

1. “The Vendor does not commit or bind itself to any terms and conditions by this submission”,

1. “This document and all associated documents are non-binding and shall be used for discussion purposes only”,

1. “This offer will not be binding on either party until incorporated in a definitive agreement signed by authorized representatives of both parties”, or

1. A statement of similar intent

6.2.10 VENDOR REGISTRATION WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE

Vendors do not have to be registered with the NC Secretary of State to submit an offer; however, in order to receive an award/contract with the State, they must be registered. Registration can be completed at the following website: https://www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business

6.2.11 VENDOR REGISTRATION AND SOLICITATION NOTIFICATION SYSTEM

The NC electronic Vendor Portal (eVP) allows Vendors to electronically register with the State to receive electronic notification of current procurement opportunities for goods and Services available at the following website: https://evp.nc.gov.

This RFP is available electronically on the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP) at the following website: https://evp.nc.gov.

6.3 Instructions for Offer Submission

6.3.1 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR OFFER

Vendors are strongly encouraged to adhere to the following general instructions in order to bring clarity and order to the offer and subsequent evaluation process:

a) Organize the offer in the exact order in which the specifications are presented in the RFP. The Execution page of this RFP must be placed at the front of the Proposal. Each page should be numbered. The offer should contain a table of contents, which cross-references the RFP specification and the specific page of the response in the Vendor's offer.

b) Provide complete and comprehensive responses with a corresponding emphasis on being concise and clear. Elaborate offers in the form of brochures or other presentations beyond that necessary to present a complete and effective offer are not desired.

c) Clearly state your understanding of the problem(s) presented by this RFP including your proposed solution’s ability to meet the specifications, including capabilities, features, and limitations, as described herein, and provide a cost offer.

d) Supply all relevant and material information relating to the Vendor’s organization, personnel, and experience that substantiates its qualifications and capabilities to perform the Services and/or provide the goods described in this RFP. If relevant and material information is not provided, the offer may be rejected from consideration and evaluation.

e) Furnish all information requested; and if response spaces are provided in this document, the Vendor shall furnish said information in the spaces provided. Further, if required elsewhere in this RFP, each Vendor must submit with its offer sketches, descriptive literature and/or complete specifications covering the products offered. References to literature submitted with a previous offer will not satisfy this provision. Proposals that do not comply with these instructions may be rejected.

f) Any offer that does not adhere to these instructions may be deemed non-responsive and rejected on that basis.

g) Only information that is received in response to this RFP will be evaluated. Reference to information previously submitted or Internet Website Addresses (URLs) will not suffice as a response to this solicitation.

6.3.2 Offer Organization

Within each section of its offer, Vendor should address the items in the order in which they appear in this RFP. Forms, attachments or exhibits, if any provided in the RFP, must be completed and included in the appropriate section of the offer. All discussion of offered costs, rates, or expenses must be presented in Section 4.0. Cost of Vendor’s Offer.

The offer should be organized and indexed in the following format and should contain, at a minimum, all listed items below.

a) Signed Execution Page AND all pages of this solicitation document in ONE (1) PDF. This includes:

· Attachments A and B

· Completed Description of Vendor Submitting Offer Form (Attachment D)

· Completed Cost Form of Vendor’s Offer (Attachment E)

· Completed and Signed Vendor Certification Form (Attachment F)

· Completed Location of Workers Utilized by Vendor Form (Attachment G)

· Completed References (Attachment H)

· Completed Financial Statements (Attachment I)

b) Vendor Response to Specifications and Requirements

c) Security Vendor Readiness Assessment Report (VRAR)

d) Architecture Diagrams

e) Detailed Project Timeline

f) Errata and Exceptions if any

g) Vendor's License and Maintenance Agreements, if any

h) Vendor may attach other supporting materials that it feels may improve the quality of its response. These materials should be included as items in a separate appendix.

6.3.3 OFFER SUBMITTAL

IMPORTANT NOTE: It is the Vendor’s sole responsibility to upload their offer to the Ariba Sourcing Module by the specified time and date of opening. Vendor shall bear the risk for late electronic submission due to unintended or unanticipated delay, including but not limited to internet issues, network issues, local power outages, or application issues. Vendor must include all the pages of this solicitation in their response.

Sealed offers, subject to the conditions made a part hereof, will be received until 2:00pm Eastern Time on the day of opening and then opened, for furnishing and delivering the commodity as described herein. Offers must be submitted via the Ariba Sourcing Module with the Execution page signed and dated by an official authorized to bind the Vendor’s firm. Failure to return a signed offer shall result in disqualification.

Attempts to submit a proposal via facsimile (FAX) machine, telephone, email, email attachments, or in any hardcopy format in response to this Bid SHALL NOT be accepted and will automatically be deemed Non-Responsive.

a) Submit one (1) signed, original electronic offer through the Ariba Sourcing Module.

b) The Ariba Sourcing Module document number is: WS1283809413

c) All File names should start with the Vendor name first, in order to easily determine all the files to be included as part of the vendor’s response. For example, files should be named as follows: Vendor Name-your file name.

d) File contents SHALL NOT be password protected, the file formats must be in .PDF, .JPEG, .DOC or .XLS format, and shall be capable of being copied to other sources. Inability by the State to open the Vendor’s files may result in the Vendor’s offer(s) being rejected as Non-Responsive.

e) If the vendor’s proposal contains any confidential information (as defined in Attachment B, Section 2, Paragraph #17), then the vendor must provide one (1) signed, original electronic offer and one (1) redacted electronic copy.

For Vendor training on how to use the Ariba Sourcing Tool to view solicitations, submit questions, develop responses, upload documents, and submit offers to the State, Vendors should go to the following site: https://eprocurement.nc.gov/training/vendor-training

Questions or issues related to using the Ariba Sourcing Tool itself can be directed to the North Carolina eProcurement Help Desk at 888-211-7440, Option 2. Help Desk representatives are available Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST

7.0 Other Requirements and Special Terms

7.1 Vendor Utilization Of Workers Outside of U.S.

In accordance with N.C.G.S. §143B-1361(b), the Vendor must detail the manner in which it intends to utilize resources or workers in the RFP response. The State of North Carolina will evaluate the additional risks, costs, and other factors associated with such utilization prior to making an award for any such Vendor’s offer.

Complete ATTACHMENT G - Location of Workers Utilized by Vendor and submit with your offer.

7.2 Financial Statements

The Vendor shall provide evidence of financial stability by returning with its offer 1) completed Financial Review Form (Attachment I), and 2) copies of Financial Statements as further described hereinbelow. As used herein, Financial Statements shall exclude tax returns and compiled statements.

a) For a publicly traded company, Financial Statements for the past three (3) fiscal years, including at a minimum, income statements, balance sheets, and statement of changes in financial position or cash flows.