RFP_33201-00926_Amd_1_Schedule.pdf

This is an Amendment #1 to a Request for Proposals (RFP #33201-00926) issued by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) for Data Management and External Evaluation Services for GEAR UP Tennessee. The RFP, originally issued on October 15, 2025, seeks a comprehensive contractor to implement a data management system and provide external evaluation services for a seven-year federally funded initiative serving approximately 9,000 unique students across ten high schools and eighteen feeder middle schools. The program targets two student cohorts with high school graduating classes of 2030 and 2031. Key schedule milestones include a Notice of Intent to Respond deadline of October 24, 2025, a Written Questions and Comments deadline of October 31, 2025, with state responses due November 24, 2025, and a Response deadline of December 8, 2025. Product demonstrations are scheduled for December 17-19, 2025, followed by optional negotiations on January 5-6, 2026. The state anticipates releasing a Notice of Intent to Award on January 7, 2026, with a protest period ending January 14, 2026, and an anticipated contract start date in early 2026.

The amendment confirms the updated RFP schedule and establishes critical evaluation timelines, with the state completing technical response evaluations by December 11, 2025, and opening and scoring cost proposals on December 23, 2025. The contract will be funded primarily through a federal GEAR UP grant, with 97% of funds allocated to program activities and 3% dedicated to scholarships. Compensation will be structured as annual service fees based on the total number of students served each program year, with potential additional custom development services. Evaluation criteria will emphasize the qualifications of the lead evaluator, expertise in education research, ability to facilitate data utilization, quality of work products, and cost-effectiveness. No specific set-aside designations or incumbent information is referenced in this amendment document.