RFP_33201-00926_Amd%2011_Schedule.pdf

This is Amendment #11 to Request for Proposals #33201-00926 issued by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) for Data Management and External Evaluation Services for GEAR UP Tennessee. The amendment updates the RFP schedule of events and confirms all critical deadlines for the procurement process. Key dates include the RFP issuance on October 15, 2025, with a Notice of Intent to Respond deadline of October 24, 2025, and a written questions and comments deadline of October 31, 2025. The state will respond to written questions by November 25, 2025, and the proposal response deadline is December 15, 2025. Technical response evaluations will be completed by January 23, 2026, followed by product demonstrations scheduled for February 10-18, 2026. Cost proposals will be opened and scored on February 20, 2026, with optional negotiations occurring February 23-25, 2026. The state will issue notice of intent to award on March 2, 2026, concluding a protest period on March 9, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. central time. The contractor signature deadline for the resulting contract is March 12, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. central time.

The amendment establishes the effective framework for a seven-year contract to serve approximately 9,000 unique students across ten high schools and eighteen feeder middle schools, targeting two student cohorts (high school graduating classes of 2030 and 2031). The procurement encompasses comprehensive data management system implementation with live dashboards, formative and summative program evaluations, professional development delivery, biennial student surveys, embedded dual enrollment research studies, and participation in the College and Career Readiness Evaluation Consortium. The contract is federally funded through a GEAR UP grant with an anticipated start date in early 2026. Disability accommodation requests must be submitted by October 22, 2025, and all other RFP terms and conditions not expressly amended remain in full force and effect.