RFP_33201-00926_Amd_1_Schedule.pdf

This is Amendment #1 to RFP #33201-00926, issued by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) for Data Management and External Evaluation Services for GEAR UP Tennessee. The RFP seeks a comprehensive contractor to implement a data management system with live dashboards 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 project targets two student cohorts with high school graduating classes of 2030 and 2031, with priority given to seniors in years 2-7 of the program. Key deliverables include configuring the data management system, conducting formative and summative evaluations, delivering professional development to school-based staff, administering biennial student surveys, implementing an embedded dual enrollment research study, and participating in the College and Career Readiness Evaluation Consortium (CCREC). The RFP was originally issued on October 15, 2025. Written questions and comments are due by October 31, 2025, with state responses provided by November 24, 2025. The proposal response deadline is December 8, 2025. Product demonstrations are scheduled for December 17-19, 2025, with cost proposal evaluation on December 23, 2025. Optional negotiations are scheduled for January 5-6, 2026, with the Notice of Intent to Award released on January 7, 2026. The protest period concludes on January 14, 2026, and the contractor signature deadline is January 19, 2026, with an anticipated contract start date in early 2026.

The contract will be funded primarily through a federal GEAR UP grant, with compensation structured as annual service fees based on the total number of students served each program year, with varying allocations by student cohort and grade level. 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 was provided in the amendment document.