RFP_33201-04526_Amendment_5.pdf

This is Amendment 5 to a Request for Proposals 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 solicitation seeks a fully functional online platform that evaluates and translates prior learning into academic credit, including credit by examination, prior learning assessment, military training recognition, reverse transfer, and degree audits. The system must integrate articulation agreements, common course numbering, dual admissions, early postsecondary opportunities, and Tennessee Transfer Pathways curricula while serving 54 anticipated institutions at go-live: 24 technical colleges, 13 community colleges, 6 locally governed institutions, and 11 public four-year universities. The original RFP was issued March 20, 2026, with a proposal response deadline of May 1, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. central time. Written questions and comments were due by April 3, 2026. Product demonstrations are scheduled for May 13-15, 2026, with a Notice of Intent to Award expected May 25, 2026. 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 covering the total contract period. No specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the RFP documentation. The solicitation does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions limiting which types of organizations may respond, nor does it reference disadvantaged enterprise requirements. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the solicitation materials. The contractor must maintain cyber liability insurance of $3 million per occurrence and $5 million annual aggregate. Evaluation criteria consist of 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 state will not reimburse travel expenses or costs associated with proposal preparation, and the contract is subject to funds availability with the state retaining the right to terminate for convenience with 30 days' notice.