RFP 62-00433 Ticketing System.pdf

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Request for Proposal #: 62-00433

Ticketing System

Date of Issue: July 9, 2025

Proposal Opening Date: September 3, 2025

At 2:00 PM ET

Direct all inquiries concerning this RFP to:

Nita Mobley

Associate Director of Purchasing Services

Email: mobleyn@uncsa.edu

Phone: 336-770-3320

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Request for Proposal #

62-00433

For internal State agency processing, including tabulation of proposals, provide your company’s eVP (Electronic Vendor Portal) Number. Pursuant to G.S. 132-1.10(b) this identification number shall not be released to the public.

This page will be removed and shredded, or otherwise kept confidential, before the procurement file is made available for public inspection.

This page shall be filled out and returned with your proposal.

Failure to do so may subject your proposal to rejection.

Vendor Name

Vendor eVP#

Note: For a contract to be awarded to you, your company (you) must be a North Carolina registered vendor in good standing. You must enter the vendor number assigned through eVP (Electronic Vendor

Portal). If you do not have a vendor number, register at https://vendor.ncgov.com/vendor/login

Electronic responses through Bonfire ONLY will be accepted for this solicitation. See Section 2.6 https://vendor.ncgov.com/vendor/login

Proposal Number: 62-00433 Vendor: __________________________________________

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Refer ALL Inquiries regarding this RFP to:

Nita Mobley (336) 770-3320 mobleyn@uncsa.edu

Request for Proposal #: 62-00433 Submissions will be closed, and evaluations will begin:

Wednesday, September 3, 2025 at 2:00 PM ET

Using Agency: UNC School of the Arts Commodity No. and Description:

432337 - System Management Software Requisition No.: {Internal}

EXECUTION

In compliance with this Request for Proposals (RFP), and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned Vendor offers and agrees to furnish and deliver any or all items upon which prices are bid, at the prices set opposite each item within the time specified herein.

By executing this proposal, the undersigned Vendor understands that false certification is a Class I felony and certifies that:

this proposal is submitted competitively and without collusion (G.S. 143-54), none of its officers, directors, or owners of an unincorporated business entity has been convicted of any violations of Chapter 78A of the General Statutes, the Securities Act of 1933, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (G.S. 143-59.2), and it is not an ineligible Vendor as set forth in G.S. 143-59.1.

Furthermore, by executing this proposal, the undersigned certifies to the best of Vendor’s knowledge and belief, that:

it and its principals are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal or State department or agency.

As required by G.S. 143-48.5, the undersigned Vendor certifies that it, and each of its sub-Contractors for any Contract awarded as a result of this RFP, complies with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the NC General Statutes, including the requirement for each employer with more than 25 employees in North Carolina to verify the work authorization of its employees through the federal E-Verify system.

As required by Executive Order 24 (2017), the undersigned vendor certifies will comply with all Federal and State requirements concerning fair employment and that it does not and will not discriminate, harass, or retaliate against any employee in connection with performance of any Contract arising from this solicitation.

G.S. 133-32 and Executive Order 24 (2009) prohibit the offer to, or acceptance by, any State Employee associated with the preparing plans, specifications, estimates for public contracts; or awarding or administering public contracts; or inspecting or supervising delivery of the public contract of any gift from anyone with a contract with the State, or from any person seeking to do business with the State. By execution of this response to the RFP, the undersigned certifies, for Vendor’s entire organization and its employees or agents, that Vendor is not aware that any such gift has been offered, accepted, or promised by any employees of your organization.

By executing this proposal, Vendor certifies that it has read and agreed to the INSTRUCTION TO VENDORS and the NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS incorporated herein. These documents can be accessed from the ATTACHMENTS page within this document.

Failure to execute/sign proposal prior to submittal may render proposal invalid and it MAY BE REJECTED. Late proposals shall not be accepted.

COMPLETE/FORMAL NAME OF VENDOR:

STREET ADDRESS: P.O. BOX: ZIP:

CITY & STATE & ZIP: TELEPHONE NUMBER: TOLL FREE TEL. NO:

PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS ADDRESS IF DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE (SEE INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS ITEM #21):

PRINT NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING ON BEHALF OF VENDOR: FAX NUMBER:

VENDOR’S AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE*: DATE: EMAIL:

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

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VALIDITY PERIOD

Offer shall be valid for at least sixty 60 days from date of bid opening, unless otherwise stated here: ______ days, or if extended by mutual agreement of the parties in writing. Any withdrawal of this offer shall be made in writing, effective upon receipt by the agency issuing this RFP.

ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSAL

If your proposal is accepted, all provisions of this RFP, along with the written results of any negotiations, shall constitute the written agreement between the parties (“Contract”). The NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS are incorporated herein and shall apply. Depending upon the Goods or Services being offered, other terms and conditions may apply, as mutually agreed.

FOR STATE USE ONLY: Offer accepted and Contract awarded this________ day of __________, 20____, as indicated on

The attached certification, by ____________________________________________________________________.

(Authorized Representative of University of North Carolina School of the Arts)

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Contents

1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

1.1 CONTRACT TERM

2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENT

2.2 E-PROCUREMENT FEE

2.3 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS

2.4 RFP SCHEDULE

2.5 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS

2.6 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL

2.7 PROPOSAL CONTENTS

2.8 ALTERNATE PROPOSALS

2.9 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS

3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

3.1 METHOD OF AWARD

3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION

3.3 PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

3.4 EVALUATION CRITERIA

3.5 PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

3.6 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES

4.0 REQUIREMENTS

4.1 PRICING

4.2 INVOICES

4.3 FINANCIAL STABILITY

4.4 HUB PARTICIPATION

4.5 VENDOR EXPERIENCE

4.6 REFERENCES

4.7 BACKGROUND CHECKS

4.8 PERSONNEL

4.9 VENDOR’S REPRESENTATIONS

5.0 SPECIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF WORK

5.1 GENERAL

5.2 SPECIFICATIONS

5.3 PROJECT ORGANIZATION

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5.4 TECHNICAL APPROACH

6.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

6.1 CONTRACT MANAGER AND CUSTOMER SERVICE

6.2 POST AWARD PROJECT REVIEW MEETINGS

6.3 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

6.5 ACCEPTANCE OF WORK

6.7 TRANSITION ASSISTANCE

6.8 DISPUTE RESOLUTION

6.9 CONTRACT CHANGES

7.0 ATTACHMENTS

ATTACHMENT A: COST PROPOSAL

ATTACHMENT B: INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

ATTACHMENT C: NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS

ATTACHMENT D: HUB SUPPLEMENTAL VENDOR INFORMATION

ATTACHMENT E: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM

ATTACHMENT F: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR

ATTACHMENT G: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

ATTACHMENT A: COST PROPOSAL (TABLES TO COMPLETE)

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1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

This RFP is intended to generate a turn-key ticketing solution that integrates all current ticketing technologies and distribution avenues and allows for growth in the future as new technologies emerge.

Vendor must confirm the system is a Hosted web-based solution.

The system must allow for direct end-user training that will be learnable, for an average user, in a short amount of time and offer intuitive operation for all users.

The system must have a reporting package that allows for data mining and manipulation of sales data to explore future programming needs and marketing opportunities with output options in an easy-to-read format.

The system shall have an Inclusive Customer Relationship Management (CRM) capability. Please describe any ability to interface bi-directionally in real-time with third party systems, such as Ellucian Banner Ethos and Raisers Edge, to facilitate sales campaigns and contact management while maintaining segregation of data and security.

It is desired that the system be able to readily interface with UNCSA Advancement and Strategic Communications offices and their Fundraising, Development and Marketing operations.

The system must offer a mobile responsive web interface or app.

The vendor must be an established ticketing software business that has been in operation for a minimum of five (5) years prior to the release date of the RFP and must have a minimum of five (5) similar systems installed and operating in a similar size, scope, and capacity environment.

The system must meet all UNCSA and State of North Carolina Financial and Electronic Data Processing regulations and audit requirements.

The intent of this solicitation is to award an Agency Contract.

1.1 CONTRACT TERM

The Contract shall have an initial term of three (3) years, beginning on the date of final Contract execution (the “Effective Date”) or April 1, 2026, whichever is later. The initial term includes a lead-in period prior to the Go-Live date to allow for system preparation, data upload, installation, and training. The Go-Live date is targeted for July 1, 2026. The first year of the contract must be extended to align the contract anniversary date with August 1 for consistency in future renewals.

At the end of the Contract’s initial term, the State shall have the option, in its sole discretion, to renew the Contract on the same terms and conditions for up to two (2) additional one-year terms. The State will give the Vendor written notice of its intent to exercise each option no later than ninety (90) days before the end of the Contract’s then-current term. In addition to any optional renewal terms, and with the Vendor’s concurrence, the State reserves the right to extend the Contract after the last active term.

Proposals shall be submitted in accordance with the terms and conditions of this RFP and any addenda issued hereto.

2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENT

This RFP is comprised of the base RFP document, any attachments, and any addenda released before Contract award, which are incorporated herein by reference.

2.2 E-PROCUREMENT FEE

ATTENTION: The E-Procurement fee may apply to this solicitation. See the paragraph entitled ELECTRONIC PROCUREMENT of the North Carolina General Terms and Conditions.

General information on the E-Procurement Services can be found at: http://eprocurement.nc.gov/.

http://eprocurement.nc.gov/

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2.3 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS

It shall be the Vendor’s responsibility to read the Instructions to Vendors, the North Carolina General Terms and Conditions, all relevant exhibits and attachments, and any other components made a part of this RFP and comply with all requirements and specifications herein. Vendors are also responsible for obtaining and complying with all Addenda and other changes that may be issued in connection with this RFP.

If Vendors have questions or issues regarding any component of this RFP, those must be submitted as questions in accordance with the instructions in the PROPOSAL QUESTIONS Section. If the State determines that any changes will be made as a result of the questions asked, then such decisions will be communicated in the form of an RFP addendum. The State may also elect to leave open the possibility for later negotiation of specific provisions of the Contract that have been addressed during the question-and-answer period, prior to contract award.

Other than through the process of negotiation under 01 NCAC 05B.0503, the State rejects and will not be required to evaluate or consider any additional or modified terms and conditions submitted with Vendor’s proposal or otherwise. This applies to any language appearing in or attached to the document as part of the Vendor’s proposal that purports to vary any terms and conditions or Vendors’ instructions herein or to render the proposal non-binding or subject to further negotiation. Vendor’s proposal shall constitute a firm offer that shall be held open for the period required herein (“Validity Period” above).

The State may exercise its discretion to consider Vendor proposed modifications. By execution and delivery of this RFP Response, the Vendor agrees that any additional or modified terms and conditions, whether submitted purposely or inadvertently, shall have no force or effect, and will be disregarded unless expressly agreed upon through negotiation and incorporated by way of a Best and Final Offer (BAFO). Noncompliance with, or any attempt to alter or delete, this paragraph shall constitute sufficient grounds to reject Vendor’s proposal as nonresponsive.

2.4 RFP SCHEDULE

The table below shows the intended schedule for this RFP. The State will make every effort to adhere to this schedule.

Event Responsibility Date and Time Issue RFP State July 9, 2025 Submit Written Questions Vendor August 4, 2025 by 12:00PM EST Provide Response to Questions State August 15, 2025 by 5:00PM EST Submit Proposals Vendor September 3, 2025 by 2:00PM EST Selection of Finalists State October 1, 2025 Interviews, Oral Presentations, and/or Product Demonstrations

Finalists October 2025 (TBD)

Contract Award State Upon Completion of Evaluation Contract Effective Date State April 1, 2026

2.5 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS

Upon review of the RFP documents, Vendors may have questions to clarify or interpret the RFP in order to submit the best proposal possible. To accommodate the Proposal Questions process, Vendors shall submit any such questions by the “Submit Written Questions” date and time provided in the RFP SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum.

Written questions shall be emailed to bids@uncsa.edu by the date and time specified above. Vendors should enter “RFP # 62- 00433: Questions” as the subject for the email. Question submittals should include a reference to the applicable RFP section and be submitted in the format shown below:

Reference Vendor Question

RFP Section, Page Number Vendor question …?

mailto:bids@uncsa.edu

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Questions received prior to the submission deadline date, the State’s response, and any additional terms deemed necessary by the State will be posted in the form of an addendum to the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP), https://evp.nc.gov, and shall become an Addendum to this RFP. No information, instruction or advice provided orally or informally by any State personnel, whether made in response to a question or otherwise in connection with this RFP, shall be considered authoritative or binding. Vendors shall rely only on written material contained in the RFP and an addendum to this RFP.

2.6 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is an absolute requirement. Late bids, regardless of cause, will not be opened or considered, and will be automatically disqualified from further consideration. Vendor shall bear the sole risk of late submission due to unintended or unanticipated delay. It is the Vendor’s sole responsibility to ensure its proposal has been received as described in this RFP by the specified time and date of opening. The time and date of receipt will be marked on each proposal when received. Any proposal or portion thereof received after the proposal deadline will be rejected.

Proposals must be submitted electronically at:

https://uncsa.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities

Your submission must be uploaded, submitted, and finalized prior to the Closing Time of Wednesday, September 3, 2025 at 2:00 PM ET. We strongly recommend that you give yourself sufficient time and at least ONE (1) day before Closing Time to begin the uploading process and to finalize your submission.

Important Notes:

The maximum upload file size is 1000 MB.

Please do not embed any documents within your uploaded files, as they will not be accessible or evaluated.

Each item of Requested Information will only be visible after the Closing Time.

Uploading large documents may take significant time, depending on the size of the file(s) and your Internet connection speed.

You will receive an email confirmation receipt with a unique confirmation number once you finalize your submission.

Minimum system requirements: Internet Explorer 11, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox. JavaScript must be enabled. Browser cookies must be enabled.

Need Help?

The University of North Carolina School of the Arts uses a Bonfire portal for accepting and evaluating proposals digitally. Please contact Bonfire at Support@GoBonfire.com for technical questions related to your submission. You can also visit their help forum at https://vendorsupport.gobonfire.com/hc/en-us

Failure to submit a proposal in strict accordance with these instructions shall constitute sufficient cause to reject a Vendor’s proposal(s). Vendors are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to upload proposals.

Critical updated information may be included in Addenda to this RFP. It is important that all Vendors responding to this RFP periodically check the State’s eVP website for any Addenda that may be issued prior to the bid opening date. All Vendors shall be deemed to have read and understood all information in this RFP and all Addenda thereto.

2.7 PROPOSAL CONTENTS

Vendors shall populate all attachments of this RFP that require the Vendor to provide information and include an authorized signature where requested. Failure to provide all required items, or Vendor’s submission of incomplete items, may result in the State rejecting Vendor’s proposal, in the State’s sole discretion.

Vendor RFP responses shall include the following items and attachments, which shall be arranged in the following order:

a) Cover Letter, which must contain the following: (i) a statement that confirms that the proposer has read the RFP in its entirety, including all links, and all Addenda released in conjunction with the RFP, (ii) a statement that the Vendor agrees to perform in https://evp.nc.gov/ https://uncsa.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities mailto:support@gobonfire.com https://vendorsupport.gobonfire.com/hc/en-us

Ver: 11/2023 8 accordance with the scope of work, requirements, and specifications contained herein; and (iii) Vendor’s agreement to comply with all instructions, terms and conditions, and attachments.

b) Completed and signed version of all EXECUTION PAGES, along with the body of the RFP.

c) Signed receipt pages of any addenda released in conjunction with this RFP, if required to be returned.

d) Vendor’s Proposal addressing all Specifications of this RFP.

e) Completed version of ATTACHMENT A: COST PROPOSAL

f) Completed version of ATTACHMENT D: HUB SUPPLEMENTAL VENDOR INFORMATION

g) Completed version of ATTACHMENT E: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM

h) Completed version of ATTACHMENT F: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR

i) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT G: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

2.8 ALTERNATE PROPOSALS

Unless provided otherwise in this RFP, Vendor may submit alternate proposals for comparable Goods, various methods or levels of Service(s), or that propose different options. Alternate proposals must specifically identify the RFP requirements and advantage(s) addressed by the alternate proposal. Any alternate proposal, in addition to the marking described above, must be clearly marked with the legend: “Alternate Proposal #___ [for ‘name of Vendor’]”. Each proposal must be for a specific set of Goods and Services and must include specific pricing. If a Vendor chooses to respond with various offerings, each must be offered with a separate price and be contained in a separate proposal document. Each proposal must be complete and independent of other proposals offered.

2.9 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS

Relevant definitions for this RFP are provided in 01 NCAC 05A .0112 and in the Instructions to Vendors found below which are incorporated herein by this reference.

3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

3.1 METHOD OF AWARD

North Carolina G.S. 143-52 provides a general list of criteria the State shall use to award contracts, as supplemented by the additional criteria herein. The Goods or Services being procured shall dictate the application and order of criteria; however, all award decisions shall be in the State’s best interest. All qualified proposals will be evaluated, and awards will be made to the Vendor(s) meeting the specific RFP Specifications and achieving the highest and best final evaluation, based on the criteria described below.

While the intent of this RFP is to award a contract to a single vendor, the State reserves the right to make separate awards to different Vendors for one or more line items, to not award one or more line items or to cancel this RFP in its entirety without awarding a Contract, if it is considered to be most advantageous to the State to do so.

The State reserves the right to waive any minor informality or technicality in proposals received.

3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION

While this RFP is under evaluation, the responding Vendor, including any subcontractors and suppliers, is prohibited from engaging in conversations intended to influence the outcome of the evaluation. See Paragraph 29 of the Instructions to Vendors entitled

COMMUNICTIONS BY VENDORS.

Each Vendor submitting a proposal to this RFP, including its employees, agents, subcontractors, suppliers, subsidiaries and affiliates, is prohibited from having any communications with any person inside or outside the using agency; issuing agency; other government agency office or body (including the purchaser named above, any department secretary, agency head, members of the General Assembly and Governor’s office); or private entity, if the communication refers to the content of Vendor’s proposal or

Ver: 11/2023 9 qualifications, the content of another Vendor’s proposal, another Vendor’s qualifications or ability to perform a resulting contract, and/or the transmittal of any other communication of information that could be reasonably considered to have the effect of directly or indirectly influencing the evaluation of proposals, the award of a contract, or both.

Any Vendor not in compliance with this provision shall be disqualified from evaluation and award. A Vendor’s proposal may be disqualified if its subcontractor and/or supplier engage in any of the foregoing communications during the time that the procurement is active (i.e., the issuance date of the procurement until the date of contract award or cancellation of the procurement). Only those discussions, communications or transmittals of information authorized or initiated by the issuing agency for this RFP or inquiries directed to the purchaser named in this RFP regarding requirements of the RFP (prior to proposal submission) or the status of the award (after submission) are excepted from this provision.

3.3 PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

Only responsive submissions will be evaluated.

The State will conduct a One-Step evaluation of Proposals:

Proposals will be received according to the method stated in the Proposal Submittal Section above.

All proposals must be received by the issuing agency not later than the date and time specified in the RFP SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum. Vendors are cautioned that this is a request for offers, not an offer or request to contract, and the State reserves the unqualified right to reject any and all offers at any time if such rejection is deemed to be in the best interest of the State.

At the date and time provided in the RFP SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum, the proposal from each responding Vendor will be opened publicly and all offers (except those that have been previously withdrawn, or voided bids) will be tabulated. The tabulation shall be made public at the time it is created. When negotiations after receipt of bids is authorized pursuant to G.S. 143-49 and 01 NCAC 05B.0503, only the names of offerors and the Goods and Services offered shall be tabulated at the time of opening. If negotiation is anticipated, cost and price shall become available for public inspection at the time of the award. Interested parties are cautioned that these costs and their components are subject to further evaluation of completeness and correctness and therefore may not be an exact indicator of a Vendor’s pricing position.

At their option, the evaluators may request oral presentations or discussions with any or all Vendors for clarification or to amplify the materials presented in any part of the proposal. Vendors are cautioned, however, that the evaluators are not required to request presentations or other clarification—and often do not. Therefore, all proposals should be complete and reflect the most favorable terms available from the Vendor.

Upon completion of the evaluation process, the State will make award(s) based on the evaluation and post the award(s) to the State’s eVP website under the RFP number for this solicitation. Award of a Contract to one Vendor does not mean that the other proposals lacked merit, but that, all factors considered, the selected proposal was deemed most advantageous and represented the best value to the State.

The State reserves the right to negotiate with one or more vendors, or to reject all original offers and negotiate with one or more sources of supply that may be capable of satisfying the requirement, and in either case to require Vendor to submit a Best and Final Offer (BAFO) based on discussions and negotiations with the State.

3.4 EVALUATION CRITERIA

In addition to the general criteria in G.S. 143-52 which may or may not be relevant to this RFP, all qualified proposals will be evaluated, and award made based on considering the following criteria, to result in an award most advantageous to the State:

System Performance and Technical Requirements (30 Maximum Points)

• Demonstrated performance of the proposed system

• Functionality and ability to meet RFP specifications

• System maintenance and update processes

• Ongoing technical support

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Proposal Quality and Responsiveness (10 Maximum Points)

• Clarity, completeness, and responsiveness of the proposal

• Adherence to the instructions, conditions, and format outlined in this RFP

Implementation and Support Plan (20 Maximum Points)

• Installation and implementation strategy

• Training plans and support for end users

Cost Proposal (20 Maximum Points)

• Initial upfront cost and ongoing fees

• Per-ticket fees charged by the Vendor (including a clearly defined calculation method)

• Fees charged to patrons by the Vendor

• Overall cost-effectiveness and value of the proposed solution

Value-Added Functionality (10 Maximum Points)

• Additional system features that may generate new or enhanced revenue opportunities

Vendor Experience and References (10 Maximum Points)

• Experience in providing integrated ticketing and marketing solutions for venues of similar size and scope

• Quality and relevance of references provided

3.5 PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

Vendor shall complete ATTACHMENT F: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR. In addition to any other evaluation criteria identified in this RFP, the State may also consider, for purposes of evaluating proposed or actual contract performance outside of the United States, how that performance may affect the following factors to ensure that any award will be in the best interest of the State:

a) Total cost to the State

b) Level of quality provided by the Vendor

c) Process and performance capability across multiple jurisdictions

d) Protection of the State’s information and intellectual property

e) Availability of pertinent skills

f) Ability to understand the State’s business requirements and internal operational culture

g) Particular risk factors such as the security of the State’s information technology

h) Relations with citizens and employees

i) Contract enforcement jurisdictional issues

3.6 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES

This RFP serves two functions: (1) to advise potential Vendors of the parameters of the solution being sought by the State; and (2) to provide (together with other specified documents) the terms of the Contract resulting from this procurement. The use of phrases such as “shall,” “must,” and “requirements” are intended to create enforceable contract conditions. In determining whether proposals should be evaluated or rejected, the State will take into consideration the degree to which Vendors have proposed or failed to propose solutions that will satisfy the State’s needs as described in the RFP. Except as specifically stated in the RFP, no one requirement shall automatically disqualify a Vendor from consideration. However, failure to comply with any single requirement may result in the State exercising its discretion to reject a proposal in its entirety.

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4.0 REQUIREMENTS

This Section lists the requirements related to this RFP. By submitting a proposal, the Vendor agrees to meet all stated requirements in this Section as well as any other specifications, requirements, and terms and conditions stated in this RFP. If a Vendor is unclear about a requirement or specification or believes a change to a requirement would allow for the State to receive a better proposal, the Vendor is urged to submit these items in the form of a question during the question and answer period in accordance with the Proposal Questions Section above.

4.1 PRICING

Proposal price shall constitute the total cost to the State for complete performance in accordance with the requirements and specifications herein, including all applicable charges for handling, transportation, administrative and other similar fees. Complete ATTACHMENT A: COST PROPOSAL and include in Vendor’s proposal. The pricing provided in ATTACHMENT A, or resulting from any negotiations, is incorporated herein and shall become part of any resulting Contract.

4.2 INVOICES

Vendor shall invoice the Purchasing Agency. The standard format for invoicing shall be Single Invoices meaning that the Vendor shall provide the Purchasing Agency with an invoice for each order. Invoices shall include detailed information to allow Purchasing Agency to verify pricing at point of receipt matches the correct price from the original date of order.

INVOICES MAY NOT BE PAID UNTIL AN INSPECTION HAS OCCURRED AND THE GOODS OR SERVICES ACCEPTED.

4.3 FINANCIAL STABILITY

As a condition of contract award, the Vendor must certify that it has the financial capacity to perform and to continue to perform its obligations under the Contract; that Vendor has no constructive or actual knowledge of an actual or potential legal proceeding being brought against Vendor that could materially adversely affect performance of this Contract; and that entering into this Contract is not prohibited by any contract, or order by any court of competent jurisdiction.

Each Vendor shall certify it is financially stable by completing ATTACHMENT G: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION. The State is requiring this certification to minimize potential issues from contracting with a Vendor that is financially unstable. From the date of the Certification to the expiration of the Contract, the Vendor shall notify the State within thirty (30) days of any occurrence or condition that materially alters the truth of any statement made in this Certification. The Contract Manager may require annual recertification of the Vendor’s financial stability.

4.4 HUB PARTICIPATION

Pursuant to North Carolina General Statute G.S. 143-48, it is State policy to encourage and promote the use of small, minority, physically handicapped, and women contractors in purchasing Goods and Services. As such, this RFP will serve to identify those Vendors that are minority owned or have a strategic plan to support the State’s Historically Underutilized Business program by meeting or exceeding the goal of 10% utilization of diverse firms as 1st or 2nd tier subcontractors. Vendor shall complete

ATTACHMENT D: HUB SUPPLEMENTAL VENDOR INFORMATION.

4.5 VENDOR EXPERIENCE

In its Proposal, Vendor shall demonstrate experience with public and/or private sector clients with similar or greater size and complexity to the State. Vendor shall provide information as to the qualifications and experience of all executive, managerial, legal, and professional personnel to be assigned to this project, including resumes citing experience with similar projects and the responsibilities to be assigned to each person.

4.6 REFERENCES

Vendor shall provide at least three (3) references, using ATTACHMENT E: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM, for which it has provided Services of similar size and scope to those proposed herein. The State may contact these users to determine whether the Services provided are substantially similar in scope to those proposed herein and whether Vendor’s performance has been satisfactory.

The information obtained may be considered in the evaluation of the Proposal.

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4.7 BACKGROUND CHECKS

Any personnel or agent of Vendor performing Services under any Contract arising from this RFP may be required to undergo a background check at the expense of the Vendor, if so requested by the State.

4.8 PERSONNEL

Vendor warrants that qualified personnel shall provide Services under this Contract in a professional manner. “Professional manner” means that the personnel performing the Services will possess the skill and competence consistent with the prevailing business standards in the industry. Vendor will serve as the prime contractor under this Contract and shall be responsible for the performance and payment of all subcontractor(s) that may be approved by the State. Names of any third-party Vendors or subcontractors of Vendor may appear for purposes of convenience in Contract documents; and shall not limit Vendor’s obligations hereunder. Vendor will retain executive representation for functional and technical expertise as needed in order to incorporate any work by third party subcontractor(s).

Should the Vendor’s proposal result in an award, the Vendor shall be required to agree that it will not substitute key personnel assigned to the performance of the Contract without prior written approval by the Contract Lead. Vendor shall further agree that it will notify the Contract Lead of any desired substitution, including the name(s) and references of Vendor’s recommended substitute personnel. The State will approve or disapprove the requested substitution in a timely manner. The State may, in its sole discretion, terminate the Services of any person providing Services under this Contract. Upon such termination, the State may request acceptable substitute personnel or terminate the contract Services provided by such personnel.

4.9 VENDOR’S REPRESENTATIONS

If Vendor’s Proposal results in an award, Vendor agrees that it will not enter any agreement with a third party that may abridge any rights of the State under the Contract. If any Services, deliverables, functions, or responsibilities not specifically described in this solicitation are required for Vendor’s proper performance, provision and delivery of the Service and deliverables under a resulting Contract, or are an inherent part of or necessary sub-task included within such Service, they will be deemed to be implied by and included within the scope of the Contract to the same extent and in the same manner as if specifically described in the Contract. Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, Vendor will furnish all of its own necessary management, supervision, labor, facilities, furniture, computer and telecommunications equipment, software, supplies and materials necessary for the Vendor to provide and deliver the Services and/or other Deliverables.

5.0 SPECIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF WORK

5.1 GENERAL

PROGRAM GOAL AND DESCRIPTION

This RFP is intended to generate a turn-key ticketing solution that integrates all current ticketing technologies and distribution avenues and allows for growth in the future as new technologies emerge.

Vendor must confirm the system is a Hosted web-based solution.

The system must allow for direct end-user training that will be learnable, for an average user, in a short amount of time and offer intuitive operation for all users.

The system must have a reporting package that allows for data mining and manipulation of sales data to explore future programming needs and marketing opportunities with output options in an easy to read format.

The system shall have an Inclusive Customer Relationship Management (CRM) capability. Please describe any ability to interface bi-directionally in real-time with third party systems, such as Ellucian Banner Ethos and Raisers Edge, to facilitate sales campaigns and contact management while maintaining segregation of data and security.

It is desired that system be able to readily interface with UNCSA Advancement and Strategic Communications offices and their Fundraising, Development and Marketing operations.

The system must offer a mobile responsive web interface or app.

Ver: 11/2023 13

The vendor must be an established ticketing software business that has been in operation for a minimum of five (5) years prior to the release date of the RFP and must have a minimum of five (5) similar systems installed and operating in a similar size, scope, and capacity environment.

The system must meet all UNCSA and State of North Carolina Financial and Electronic Data Processing regulations and audit requirements.

DETAILS OF CURRENT SYSTEM

UNCSA currently utilizes Leap/Patron Ticketing for its Ticketing and Access Control needs. This hosted system has been in use for approximately ten (10) years.

The University’s venues present over 500 performances and film screenings each year in a dozen Reserved Seat and General Admission venues covering the entire city of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The Roger Stevens Center, UNCSA’s largest performance venue, is currently offline for an extensive renovation with an expected re-opening in Spring 2027. Capacity of the Stevens Center is expected to be approximately 1000. Other UNCSA venues range in size from 75-600 and utilize a mix of Reserved Seat and General Admission seating. Off-campus venues ticketed by UNCSA range from 250-2000 and are a mix of Reserved Seat and General Admission seating.

The system is a real-time system incorporating online, walk-up, and phone sales. Ticket agents are located in multiple locations, all operating concurrently.

Approximate net tickets (sold less returns and exchanges) sold for the past three years as shown below:

# OF COMPS

YEAR ONLINE WALK-UP/PHONE TOTAL IN TOTAL QUANTITY

2023-24 11,850 19,575 31,425 22,525

2022-23 24,975 17,175 42,150 19,100 2021-22 19,150 16,700 35,850 16,375

UNCSA, as part of its educational functions, requires UNCSA Students to attend as many performances as possible and issues Complimentary tickets to them in order to do so. UNCSA Students may receive one complimentary ticket to any single performance or run of a production. All UNCSA Faculty and Staff may receive two tickets to any single performance or run of a production. This process is done through the Patron Ticketing “Patron Portal” and is a requirement of system. These are in addition to the many free performances that are also ticketed.

The current system has approximately 78,000 Contacts contained with-in 67,000 Accounts.

Upon completion of Stevens Center renovation, we will have a minimum of twenty (20) possible workstations, utilizing a combination of Desktop and Laptop computers and printing to as many as six (6) BOCA Ticket Printers over multiple locations.

Our current License allows up to twelve (12) simultaneous operators.

5.2 SPECIFICATIONS

The specific items and any specifications that the Purchasing Agency is seeking are listed below. Items offered by the Vendor must meet or exceed the listed Specifications to be considered for award.

A. TICKETING SYSTEM SPECIFICS

1. System should have the ability for UNCSA to create and manage events/performances, create new venues and price maps at any time without Vendor intervention. Describe any limitations in quantity or scope for Events/Performances, Venues, and Seating Configurations.

2. The ticketing solution must provide for purchase via Internet, Mobile, Walk-up, and Telephone sales and shall be upgradable to accommodate additional sales methods that be created in the future.

3. System must offer Reserved Seat, General Admission and Timed Entrance tickets and the ability to

Ver: 11/2023 14 mix these types of tickets in one order.

4. Describe process for Ticket Agent seat selection.

a. Reserved Seat

b. General Admission

c. Best Available

i. Describe “Best Seat Available” configuration options.

5. Describe seat map visuals as seen by Ticket Agent.

a. Does it show different color-coded price zones?

b. Available Pricing?

c. Does seat map hovering shows Patron, seat # and price paid for “sold” seats, other information.

6. Describe any pre-defined alerts such as performances near capacity or sell-out.

7. Describe in detail the systems adherence to all ADA requirements including on-line sales.

8. System must offer dynamic pricing. Describe process.

9. Describe systems ability to alter General Admission ticket quantities and capacities after a performance is already on sale.

10. Describe systems ability to up-grade seating, suggest additional performances and add-on items.

11. System must allow for “Pay What You Wish” tickets.

12. Describe systems ability to prompt donation solicitation with ticket purchase.

13. Describe capabilities for Livestream and Virtual Screenings.

14. Describe system’s ability to customize tickets, ticket headers and receipts.

15. Describe Ticket Price Transparency systems and how it conforms to the latest laws.

16. Describe ability for partial payments.

17. Describe how the system controls per ticket/order service fees in accordance with variable/dynamic price points.

18. Describe the system’s ability to issue complimentary tickets in the same order as paid or discounted tickets.

19. System must offer subscriptions and season ticket packages.

a. Describe Subscription and Subscription Renewal capabilities including fixed, pick-your-own and flex subscriptions. Include description of system’s ability for Patrons to select their own seats.

b. Please describe your system’s roll over functionality from season to season for subscription packages.

c. Describe ability for partial payment plans, and pro-rated subscriptions.

d. System must allow packages and subscriptions to be defined with events/performances from multiple venues.

20. System must have the capability of Print on Demand, Batch Print, Print-at-Home, Mobile, etc.

21. System must be able to print to any ticket printer at any of the venues from any workstation.

22. Describe systems automated email alerts, pre-performance and post-performance communication capabilities.

23. System must allow for printing of Sponsor Logos on both hard tickets and e-tickets.

24. Vendor must include a complete description of their systems' reporting and data mining capabilities.

This should include, but not be limited to, reporting software, standard reports, report formats, event reporting, flexibility of reporting, ability to modify reports for specific events, ability to customize reports

Ver: 11/2023 15 and the ability to provide access to these reports on a privilege-based request (i.e., UNCSA staff, promoters, etc.).

25. Describe any limits on the number of Performances/Events, and Contacts.

26. Describe any limits on data storage capacity.

27. Describe how the system can restrict sales on performances, price points/discounts, advance sales and related based on operator access level.

28. Describe how the system can restrict sales based upon geographic location.

29. Describe systems to prevent mass ticket purchase abuse and the use of “ticket bots.”

30. Describe in detail the fields available in each Patrons record.

a. Describe the system’s ability to create custom fields within a record.

b. Describe system ability to create, report, and export Patron’s record Custom Fields.

31. Describe systems ability to identify, report and merge duplicate Patron records.

32. Describe how the system maintains and selects multiple addresses within the same account.

33. Describe length of time, type and accessibility to, past data collected and maintained by system.

34. Describe Seat Hold methodology.

35. Describe the system’s Gift Certificate capabilities.

36. Describe any Point-of-Sale options for non-ticket items such as pre-paid Intermission Food and

Beverage, Dinner Packages, Parking and other merchandise.

37. Describe if there are any restrictions on Ticket Printers or Ticket Stock vendors.

a. Describe all ticket printer manufacturers’ supported by system.

b. System must allow for printed tickets to be individually cut, not printed as a consecutive strip.

38. Please describe what data migration possibilities are available from Vendor with particular emphasis on migration of current ticket system data, including Contacts list with purchase history and past performances. Additionally, please describe options for other data migration. (For example, UNCSA’s Office of Advancement collects donor information in Raiser’s Edge. Describe your system’s ability to interface with this database).

39. Describe systems ability to integrate with other UNCSA platforms such as UNCSA website (uses Modern Campus), digital signage, email systems (currently using Emma) and other systems.

40. Describe system ability to create, report, and export Patron’s record Custom Fields.

41. The ticketing solution must provide a secure credit card processing and payment environment. [See

Section H. PAYMENT CARD INDUSTRY DATA SECURITY STANDARD (PCI-DSS) below.]

a. System must allow for use of Credit Cards, Apple Pay, and Google Wallet.

b. Describe in detail the posting and reconciliation of payment card transactions.

c. On-premises credit card readers must be able to connect and transfer information electronically.

d. Describe how the system uses our merchant ID for processing payments, or does the software solution require a separate merchant ID.

e. Describe how the system reconciles and transfers funds.

f. Please explain, in detail, the flow of payment information in the system. See Credit Card

Processing Fees below.

42. System must generate reports on a variable pre-programmed automatic basis and allow for automatic e-mailing of reports.

43. Describe any options for utilizing the use of Student IDs for tickets, including on-line sales given the need for UNCSA students to be able to obtain Comp tickets.

44. Describe how the proposed system can provide ticketing services to other organizations.

a. This information must describe how the different groups' box offices can sell tickets and service

Ver: 11/2023 16 only their events and not see information from other venues, while at the same time allowing UNCSA full access, with proper operator permission, to have full access to all data for all events and organizations.

b. Describe how accounting of funds from each organization's box office would be managed.

c. Indicate how accounts specific only to one organization are kept separate from other organizations and how printing reports for the specific organization is managed.

45. The State of North Carolina charges 7% Sales Tax on all Tickets and Fees. Describe how this is managed.

46. System must offer a test environment for training and beta testing.

47. Describe in detail all Hardware, Software and Network requirements.

48. Provide an estimate of time from Contract Date to “Go-Live” date.

B. WEBSITE FEATURES

1. Please provide a description of the procedure for establishing a "Private Label Web Site", customization options for integrating UNCSA Branding and the process for ordering tickets through the online portal.

2. System must provide for Real-time on-line ticketing, Promo/Discount Codes and protected Pre-Sales utilizing shopping cart functionality?

3. Online should have pick-your-seat capability in addition to the best available option.

4. Explain the policies and procedures for pop-ups, streaming video, “view from your seat” etc.

5. Describe options and services provided in regard to enabling UNCSA to promote attractions, as well as sell and maintain advertising and sponsorship space on the private label site, and on the ticket sales pages.

a. Who designs and maintains private label web sites for your organization?

b. Identify all related costs of UNCSA for these services.

6. Must be able to pre-set automatic on/off-sale dates/times for on-line sales.

7. Describe any on-line interface capabilities with Social Media sites such as Facebook.

8. Describe any Point-of-Sale options for on-line selling of non-ticket items such as Dinner Packages, Parking and other merchandise.

9. Must allow for on-line Subscription and Subscription Renewal.

10. Please describe any anti-hacker technology and anti-virus programs used to protect your online system(s).

11. Please discuss what measures and technologies are employed to protect the security of online ticket purchasers using credit or debit cards.

C. MARKETING

UNCSA will utilize the ticketing system for marketing opportunities. These opportunities include direct mail, email, Internet, etc. Describe how your product would accommodate these activities and options.

1. Targeted Marketing and Segmentation:

o The system should enable detailed audience segmentation based on ticket purchase history, demographics, and engagement patterns, allowing UNCSA to craft personalized campaigns for specific patron groups, including students, faculty, alumni,…