RFP_33201-04526_Amendment_4.pdf

This is Amendment 4 to Request for Proposals 33201-04526 issued by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) for the design, development, implementation, and ongoing maintenance of a comprehensive Articulation and Transfer Statewide System. The amendment updates the RFP schedule of events with revised dates for key milestones. The Notice of Intent to Respond deadline is March 27, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. central time, with written questions and comments due by April 3, 2026. The state will respond to written questions and comments by April 27, 2026. The response deadline for proposals is May 4, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. central time. Product demonstrations are scheduled for May 18-21, 2026, with the state completing technical response evaluations by May 13, 2026 and scheduling demonstrations on May 15, 2026. The state will open and score cost proposals on May 22, 2026, with optional negotiations scheduled for May 26-28, 2026. The Notice of Intent to Award will be released on May 29, 2026, with the protest period ending on June 5, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. The state will send the contract to the contractor for signature on June 9, 2026, with a signature deadline of June 11, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. central time. The contract term is five years (60 months) with a warranty period equal to or greater than the contract duration.

The cost proposal must include separate line items for implementation (one-time fee), training for administrators and users (one-time fee), annual hosting costs, annual license fees, annual system maintenance, and annual client support services, with all costs incorporated into a single proposal for the total contract period. The RFP does not specify a budget range or award value. No set-aside designations or restrictions limiting which types of organizations may respond are identified, nor are disadvantaged enterprise requirements referenced. The state will not reimburse travel expenses or costs associated with proposal preparation. The contractor must maintain cyber liability insurance of $3 million per occurrence and $5 million annual aggregate. The contract is subject to funds availability, and the state retains the right to terminate for convenience with 30 days' notice. Evaluation criteria include general qualifications and experience (10 points maximum), technical qualifications, experience and approach (70 points maximum), product demonstrations (10 points maximum), and cost proposal (10 points maximum). The system will serve 54 anticipated institutions at go-live: 24 technical colleges, 13 community colleges, 6 locally governed institutions, and 11 public four-year universities.