RFP_33201-00926_Amd%204_Schedule.pdf

This is Amendment #4 to a Request for Proposals (RFP) issued by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) for Data Management and External Evaluation Services for GEAR UP Tennessee, a federally funded seven-year initiative. The RFP seeks a contractor to implement a comprehensive data management system with live dashboards and provide external evaluation services for approximately 9,000 unique students across ten high schools and eighteen feeder middle schools, targeting two student cohorts with high school graduating classes of 2030 and 2031. The amendment updates the RFP schedule with key dates including a response deadline of December 8, 2025, technical response evaluations completion by December 17, 2025, product demonstrations scheduled for January 6-9, 2026, cost proposal opening and scoring on January 12, 2026, optional negotiations January 13-15, 2026, notice of intent to award on January 20, 2026, protest period ending January 27, 2026, and contractor signature deadline of January 30, 2026. The contract is anticipated to commence in early 2026.

The procurement is federally funded through the GEAR UP grant with 97 percent of funds allocated to program activities and 3 percent dedicated to scholarships. Payment will be structured based on the total number of students served each program year, with annual allocations varying by student cohort and grade level, including annual service fees and potential custom development services. Evaluation criteria 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 were detailed in the amendment.