STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

Central Carolina Community College

Request for Proposal #: 86-2027-004

Grant Evaluation Services for NSF EARTh Center Project

Date of Issue: September 4, 2026

Proposal Due Date: September 25, 2026 at 2:00 PM ET

Direct all inquiries concerning this RFP to:

Brandi Hernandez

Director of Purchasing

Email: bhernandez@cccc.edu

Phone: 919-718-7419 mailto:bhernandez@cccc.edu

Ver: 11/2023

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

Request for Proposal #

86-2027-004

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 ONLY will be accepted for this solicitation.

https://vendor.ncgov.com/vendor/login

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Central Carolina Community College

Refer ALL Inquiries regarding this RFP to:

Brandi Hernandez bhernandez@cccc.edu 919-718-7419

Request for Proposal #: 86-2027-004

Proposals will be publicly opened: September 25, 2026 at 2:15 PM ET

Using Agency: CCCC – EARTh Center Commodity No. and Description: 861415 Educational guidance services

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:

Proposal Number: 86-2027-004 Vendor: __________________________________________

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VALIDITY PERIOD

Offer shall be valid for at least sixty 60 days from date of proposal 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 on _________________________, as indicated on the attached certification, by ____________________________________________________________________.

(Authorized Representative of Central Carolina Community College)

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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 FINANCIAL STABILITY

4.3 VENDOR EXPERIENCE

4.4 REFERENCES

4.5 BACKGROUND CHECKS

4.6 PERSONNEL

4.7 SUBCONTRACTORS

4.8 VENDOR’S REPRESENTATIONS

4.9 QUESTIONS TO VENDORS

4.10 AGENCY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS MODIFICATION

4.11 LOBBYING ACTIVITY CERTIFICATION FOR FEDERAL GRANTS

4.12 SECRETARY OF STATE REGISTRATION

5.0 SPECIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF WORK

5.1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

5.2 SCOPE OF WORK

5.3 TASKS/DELIVERABLES

6.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

6.1 CONTRACT MANAGER AND CUSTOMER SERVICE

6.2 INVOICES

6.3 POST AWARD BUSINESS REVIEW MEETINGS

6.4 PERIODIC STATUS REPORTS

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6.5 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

6.6 ACCEPTANCE OF WORK

6.7 TRANSITION ASSISTANCE

6.8 DISPUTE RESOLUTION

6.9 CONTRACT CHANGES

7.0 FEDERAL FUNDING PROVISIONS AND CLAUSES

7.1 CLEAN AIR ACT AND FEDERAL WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ACT

7.2 DEBARMENT AND SUSPENSION

7.3 RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER A CONTRACT OR AGREEMENT

7.4 ACCESS TO RECORDS

7.5 RECORD RETENTION

7.6 ENERGY EFFICIENCY

7.7 PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND VIDEO SURVEILLANCE SERVICES OR

EQUIPMENT

8.0 ATTACHMENTS

ATTACHMENT A: COST PROPOSAL

ATTACHMENT B: INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

ATTACHMENT C: NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS

ATTACHMENT D: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM

ATTACHMENT E: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR

ATTACHMENT F: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

CERTIFICATION FOR CONTRACTS, GRANTS, LOANS, AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS

OMB STANDARD FORM LLL

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1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

The Environmental and Natural Resource Technology (EARTh) Center, funded by the National Science Foundation and located at Central Carolina Community College, is a pivotal force for societal advancement by integrating professional expertise and innovative educational models into the environmental technology sector. Its efforts to forge partnerships across various sectors within environmental tech and natural resources-focused areas of study and industry aim to enhance the development of educational resources for community college classrooms, provide cross-disciplinary opportunities for experiential faculty professional development, and disseminate the created bodies of work widely for use by institutions and the public. Its strategic use of digital platforms for resource sharing and commitment to providing a variety of virtual and hands-on opportunities for faculty and student development underscores a passion to broaden access to environmental technologies and professional development, ensuring that all stakeholders are equipped with up-to-date knowledge and skills.

Through a suite of professional development initiatives, the EARTh Center is dedicated to elevating the standards of environmental technology education and addressing the disparity in research opportunities between four-year institutions and community colleges. By creating accessible Undergraduate Research Experiences and immersive learning environments, the Center aims to cultivate a robust workforce capable of confronting environmental challenges and developing solutions. This concerted approach promises to enhance the technical acumen and sustainable practices of future professionals.

The EARTh Center is seeking a qualified vendor to provide external evaluation services to monitor and assess the impact of this work. Evaluation work for this proposal will commence as of October 1, 2026, and continue through the duration of the Center’s funding.

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

1.1 CONTRACT TERM

The Contract term shall commence on the contract execution date (the “Effective Date”) and shall continue until completion and acceptance of all requirements within the scope of work. The Center’s grant duration is October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2031. The Contract length is a five (5) year contract with the option to renew for an additional two (2) one-year terms if the Center grant is extended, and upon mutual agreement of all parties. Total Contract length shall not exceed seven (7) years. Evaluation Contract Time Commitment is not to exceed 500 hours per year. The Vendor shall begin work immediately upon the Effective Date.

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 College 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 College 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 College 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 College will make every effort to adhere to this schedule.

Event Responsibility Date and Time

Issue RFP College September 4, 2026 Submit Written Questions Vendor September 14, 2026 at 5:00 PM EST Provide Response to Questions College September 17, 2026 Submit Proposals Vendor September 25, 2026 at 2:00 PM EST Proposal Opening Google Meet link

Join by phone:

+1 720-500-4339

PIN: 243 148 785#

September 25, 2026 at 2:15 PM EST

Contract Award College October 16, 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.

https://meet.google.com/uwu-hwcz-wzx https://meet.google.com/uwu-hwcz-wzx

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Written questions shall be emailed to bhernandez@cccc.edu by the date and time specified above. Vendors should enter “RFP # 86-2027-004 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 …?

Questions received prior to the submission deadline date, the College’s response, and any additional terms deemed necessary by the College 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 proposals, 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.

All proposal responses shall be submitted electronically via the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP). Vendor RFP responses must be submitted as one (1) document. Proposals must be in .pdf format and use the following naming convention: “VendorName_RFP86-2027-004_Proposal”. All proposal pages must be consecutively numbered.

If confidential and proprietary information is included in the proposal, also submit one (1) signed, REDACTED copy of the proposal. Such information may include trade secrets defined by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 66-152 and other information exempted from the Public Records Act pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. §132- 1.2. Vendor may designate information, Products, Services or appropriate portions of its response as confidential, consistent with and to the extent permitted under the statutes and rules set forth above. By so redacting any page, or portion of a page, the Vendor warrants that it has formed a good faith opinion, having received such necessary or proper review by counsel and other knowledgeable advisors, that the portions determined to be confidential and proprietary and redacted as such, meet the requirements of the Rules and Statutes set forth above. However, under no circumstances shall price information be designated as confidential.

If the Vendor does not provide a redacted version of the proposal with its proposal submission, the College may release an unredacted version if a record request is received.

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 proposal opening date. All Vendors shall be deemed to have read and understood all information in this RFP and all Addenda thereto.

https://evp.nc.gov/

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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 College rejecting Vendor’s proposal, in the College’s sole discretion.

Vendor RFP responses shall include the following items and attachments 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 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) Title Page including the company name, address, phone number and authorized representative along with the Proposal Number.

c) Completed and signed version of all EXECUTION PAGES, along with the body of the RFP. The Vendor must complete all administrative sections within the original RFP document, including Sections 4.5.1, 4.12, and 6.1.

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

e) Vendor’s Proposal addressing all Specifications of this RFP, including Sections 4.3, 4.6, 4.9, 5.2, and 5.3.

Vendor’s Proposal shall be limited to twenty-five (25) pages, exclusive of the RFP and required attachments. If the Proposal exceeds this page limit, only the first twenty-five (25) pages will be evaluated.

f) Completed version of ATTACHMENT A: PRICING

g) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT D: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM

h) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT E: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR

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

j) Completed and signed version of CERTIFICATION FOR CONTRACTS, GRANTS, LOANS, AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS and OMB STANDARD FORM LLL

k) Signed, redacted copy of Proposal (if applicable)

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.

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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 College 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 College’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(s) to a single Vendor, the College 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 College to do so.

The College 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 COMMUNICATIONS 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 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 College 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 College 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 College.

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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 are 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 for 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 College 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 College.

The College 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 College.

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 College:

• Quality and content of proposal;

• Vendor’s evaluative approach and ability to provide the requested services;

• Samples of work with similar projects;

• Experience working with similar institutions;

• Proposed Budget

BEST VALUE: "Best Value" procurement methods are authorized by N.C.G.S. §§143-135.9 and 143B-1350(h). The award decision is made based on multiple factors, including: total cost of ownership, meaning the cost of acquiring, operating, maintaining, and supporting a product or service over its projected lifetime; the evaluated technical merit of the Vendor's offer; the Vendor's past performance; and the evaluated probability of performing the specifications stated in the solicitation on time, with high quality, and in a manner that accomplishes the stated business objectives and maintains industry standards compliance. The intent of "Best Value" procurement is to enable Vendors to offer and the Agency to select the most appropriate solution to meet the business objectives defined in the solicitation and to keep all parties focused on the desired outcome of a procurement.

A ranking method of source selection will be utilized in this procurement using evaluation criteria listed in order of importance in the Evaluation Criteria section below to allow the State to award this RFP to the Vendor(s) providing the Best Value and recognizing that Best Value may result in award other than the lowest price or highest technically qualified offer. By using this method, the overall ranking may be adjusted up or down when considered with, or traded-off against, other non-price factors.

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EVALUATION METHOD: Narrative and by consensus of the evaluating committee, explaining the strengths and weaknesses of each proposal and why the recommended awardee(s) provide the best value to the College.

All qualified proposals will be evaluated, and award made based on considering the following criteria listed in descending order of importance, to result in an award most advantageous to the College:

1. Vendor Approach: Vendor evaluative approach to completing the items listed in the Scope of Work and overall quality/content of the proposal.

2. Vendor Qualifications: Demonstrated qualifications, including samples of work with similar projects.

3. Vendor Experience and References: Demonstrated experience working with similar institutions (including two-year technical and community colleges).

4. Pricing: Proposed budgets

3.5 PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

All work under this Contract must be performed exclusively within the contiguous United States by personnel located within the contiguous United States. Submission of proposals indicating performance, data hosting, or worker presence outside the United States will result in immediate rejection of the proposal as non-responsive.

Vendor shall complete ATTACHMENT E: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR certifying that all primary and sub-contractor personnel, operations, data storage, and support services will remain entirely within the contiguous United States throughout the term of the Contract.

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 College; 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 College will take into consideration the degree to which Vendors have proposed or failed to propose solutions that will satisfy the College’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 College exercising its discretion to reject a proposal in its entirety.

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 College 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

Vendors must complete ATTACHMENT A: PRICING FORM and include it in their proposal. Proposal price shall constitute the total, fixed cost to the College for complete performance of all requirements, deliverables, and travel expenses outlined in this RFP. The contract will be awarded as a Fixed-Price Contract for up to 500 hours of evaluation services per contract year. This flat rate must be fully burdened and all-inclusive of labor, direct/indirect overhead, administrative costs, remote office infrastructure, and all travel expenses required to attend the three

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(3) annual in-person events detailed in Section 5.1. No separate travel reimbursements or additional fees will be paid outside of the agreed-upon fixed rate.

The pricing provided in ATTACHMENT A, or resulting from any negotiations, is incorporated herein and shall become part of any resulting Contract.

4.2 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 F: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION. The College 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 College 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.

4.3 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 College. 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.

The proposal must include:

• A brief narrative overview of the evaluation firm’s history, organizational structure, and core service offerings.

• A list of current or prior federal or state-funded grant projects where evaluation services were provided.

Vendor must explicitly designate/identify any projects involving two-year technical and/or community colleges.

• A sample evaluation plan from a previous project (identifying, proprietary, or IP information redacted as necessary).

• A sample evaluation instrument from a previous project (e.g., a participant survey or other tool).

4.4 REFERENCES

Vendor shall provide at least three (3) references, using ATTACHMENT D: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM, for which it has provided Services of similar size and scope to those proposed herein. References shall not be from the same company or from the solicitating College. In addition, Vendor shall provide references for and identify other government contracts it has received, for which your company has provided services of similar size and scope to those proposed herein. The College 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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4.5 BACKGROUND CHECKS

Vendor and its personnel are required to provide or undergo background checks at Vendor’s expense prior to beginning work with the College. As part of Vendor background, the following details must be provided to the College:

a) Any criminal felony conviction, or conviction of any crime involving moral turpitude, including, but not limited to fraud, misappropriation or deception, by Vendor, its officers or directors, or any of its employees or other personnel to provide Services on this project, of which Vendor has knowledge, or provide a statement that Vendor is aware of none;

b) Any criminal investigation for any offense involving moral turpitude, including, but not limited to fraud, misappropriation, falsification or deception pending against Vendor of which it has knowledge, or provide a statement Vendor is aware of none;

c) Any regulatory sanctions levied against Vendor or any of its officers, directors or its professional employees expected to provide Services on this project by any state or federal regulatory agencies within the past three years or a statement that there are none. As used herein, the term “regulatory sanctions” includes the revocation or suspension of any license or certification, the levying of any monetary penalties or fines, and the issuance of any written warnings;

d) Any regulatory investigations pending against Vendor or any of its officers, directors or its professional employees expected to provide Services on this project by any state or federal regulatory agencies of which Vendor has knowledge or a statement that there are none.

e) Any civil litigation, arbitration, proceeding, or judgments pending against Vendor during the three (3) years preceding submission of its proposal herein or a statement that there are none.

f) Any sex offender registration as found using the North Carolina Department of Public Safety Offender Public Information or similar Services.

Vendor’s response to these requests shall be considered a continuing representation, and Vendor’s failure to notify the College within thirty (30) days of any criminal litigation, investigation or proceeding involving Vendor or its then current officers, directors or persons providing Services under this Contract during its term shall constitute a material breach of contract. The provisions of this paragraph shall also apply to any subcontractor utilized by Vendor to perform Services under this Contract.

4.5.1 Vendor Background Check Agreement

Vendor agrees to conduct a criminal background check per the specifications above in this section on all employees proposed to work under this Contract, at its expense, and provide the required documentation to the College in order to perform Services under this Contract:

☐ YES ☐ NO

4.6 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 College. 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).

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The proposal must identify all key staff assigned to this project and include:

• Identification of the lead evaluator, a summary of their relevant experience, and a list of any additional personnel assigned to the EARTh Center project detailing their specific roles and responsibilities.

• Resumes or Curriculum Vitae for the lead evaluator and all key personnel who will perform work under the contract.

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 College will approve or disapprove the requested substitution in a timely manner. The College may, in its sole discretion, terminate the Services of any person providing Services under this Contract. Upon such termination, the College may request acceptable substitute personnel or terminate the contract Services provided by such personnel.

4.7 SUBCONTRACTORS

No portion of the work shall be subcontracted without prior written consent of the State. In the event that the Vendor desires to subcontract some part of the work specified herein, the Vendor shall furnish with their proposal the names, qualifications, and experience of their proposed subcontractors. The Vendor shall, however, remain solely and fully liable and responsible for the work done by its subcontractor(s) and shall assure compliance with all the requirements and specifications of the contract.

4.8 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 College 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.

4.9 QUESTIONS TO VENDORS

Vendor shall respond to each of the following questions. Vendors are requested to keep responses concise and relevant and should not include generic marketing materials. Responses will be reviewed as part of the evaluation process.

• Provide a brief description of your firm’s approach to grant project evaluation and client interaction with the grant Principal Investigator (limit to 1 page maximum).

• Provide a list of potential research questions for the EARTh Center based on the Center’s Goals, Objectives, and Activities outlined in Section 5.1 (limit to no more than 7 research questions).

4.10 AGENCY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS MODIFICATION

Default Insurance Coverage from the General Terms and Conditions applicable to this Solicitation:

☒ Contract value in excess of the Small Purchase threshold, but up to $1,000,000.00

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4.11 LOBBYING ACTIVITY CERTIFICATION FOR FEDERAL GRANTS

Federal law prohibits recipients of federal funds, whether through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements, from using those funds to influence or attempt to influence (lobby) a federal official in connection with obtaining, extending, or modifying any federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement. Further, federal law requires that applicants for federal funds certify:

• that they abide by the above restriction;

• that they disclose any permissible (non-federal) paid lobbying on the Federal Awards being applied for;

and

• that such certification requirements will also be included in any subawards meeting the applicable thresholds.

Vendors must complete and submit the CERTIFICATION FOR CONTRACTS, GRANTS, LOANS, AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS and the OMB STANDARD FORM LLL when responding to this solicitation.

4.12 SECRETARY OF STATE REGISTRATION

Prior to entering into a contract with the State, the awarded Vendor(s) must complete registration with the NC Secretary of State. Upon notification of award, the selected Vendor(s) must furnish evidence of filing within 10 business days. Failure to provide this documentation may result in the disqualification of the Vendor(s) proposal from further consideration for the award.

No purchase orders shall be issued prior to confirmation of completed registration with the Secretary of State.

A contract award under the above-referenced solicitation, and the resulting purchase orders, will produce repeated orders and transactions in North Carolina and will constitute “transacting business” in the State, which requires a certificate of authority from the North Carolina Secretary of State as provided in G.S. §55-15-01 (corporations) or §57D-7-01 (LLCs). Please go to https://www.sosnc.gov/ to register.

Vendor registered with the North Carolina Secretary of State: ☐ YES ☐ NO

5.0 SPECIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF WORK

5.1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Central Carolina Community College (CCCC) is seeking proposals for grant project evaluation services for the EARTh Center (EC). The EC is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) as a national Advanced Technological Education Center.

CCCC invites vendors to submit proposals for external evaluation services to monitor and assess the impact of the EC’s Project Objectives and Activities that support these Goals for a national center as defined by NSF:

• Supporting systemic reform, broad outreach, community-building, and leadership development among educational institutions, industry, professional and trade associations, educators, and incumbent technicians;

• Establishing an effective dialogue and collaborations between existing and new ATE projects in the same or related technological fields across the nation;

• Providing models and leadership for collaborations in which two-year IHEs work with four-year IHEs, secondary schools, business, industry, economic development agencies, and government;

• Mentoring prospective PIs to broaden the impact of ATE in Environmental and Natural Resource fields;

• Promoting technician careers and visibility and the public image in Environmental and Natural Resource fields;

https://www.sosnc.gov/

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• Addressing technician knowledge, skills, and competencies needed for the evolving, converging, and emerging technical workplace;

• Provide faculty professional development opportunities within Environmental and Natural Resource areas of study, technology, and industry.

Additional information regarding current available resources and offerings from the EC are available at:

https://earthcntr.org/.

Additional information about the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education (NSF ATE) Program is available at: https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/ate-advanced-technological-education.

Additional information regarding external evaluation for NSF ATE funded projects may be found at: https://evalu-ate.org/.

Job Location and Travel Requirements

It is expected that the Firm will work from a remote location and provide their own office space, IT equipment, telecommunications, and high-speed internet connection to participate in virtual meetings.

Occasional travel may be required, including at least one trip to Washington DC, one trip to a U.S. conference (location to be determined during the contract period), and one trip to attend an EC professional development event within the U.S. during the contract period

Each trip will have a duration of 2 to 5 days. All travel costs, lodging, transportation, and meal expenses associated with these trips must be estimated by the Vendor and included within the all-inclusive fixed quarterly rate. Separate travel reimbursement requests will not be accepted or processed.

5.2 SCOPE OF WORK

The nature of an NSF ATE Center requires many different aspects of evaluation to capture and report on the progress, effectiveness, and impact of the Center’s Objectives and Activities (see below). Vendor will be expected to work closely with EC personnel, Activity participants, and stakeholders, to ensure that data collection and analysis is completed, documented, and reported, appropriately.

EC Objectives and corresponding Activities subject to evaluation include:

• OBJECTIVE 1: Develop, Deploy, and Promote Innovative Curriculum Resources o Activity 1.1: Design and Develop Immersive Ed Resources to Prepare Individuals for Careers in Environmental Technology (ET) o Activity 1.2: Pilot, Refine, and Deploy Immersive Ed Resources o Activity 1.3: Deliver Training and Support for Implementation of Immersive Ed Resources in the Classroom

• OBJECTIVE 2: Strengthen National Workforce Readiness through Industry-Aligned Efforts o Activity 2.1: Deploy Custom AI Tools to Simplify Job Task Analysis (JTA) for ET Programs o Activity 2.2: Convene Employer Engagement Forums o Activity 2.3: National Conference Engagement o Activity 2.4: Update the Defining Environmental Technology Report https://earthcntr.org/ https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/ate-advanced-technological-education https://evalu-ate.org/ https://evalu-ate.org/

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• OBJECTIVE 3: Facilitate Student Learning, Engagement, and Articulation o Activity 3.1: Establish Models for Articulating ET Students from Two-Year to Four-Year Colleges o Activity 3.2: Facilitate UREs for Students through a National Network of Partners

• OBJECTIVE 4: Increase Visibility of ET Programs and Strengthen Dissemination Efforts o Activity 4.1: Increase Visibility of ET Programs o Activity 4.2: Expand National Reach through Outreach and Engagement o Activity 4.3: Foster Innovation through Mentoring of New and Existing ATE Project Leaders o Activity 4.4: Conduct Quarterly Review of Active ATE Awards for ET Related Projects

• OBJECTIVE 5: Facilitate Faculty Development through Communities of Practice o Activity 5.1: Deliver Virtual Professional Development Opportunities o Activity 5.2: Lead In-Person Workshops and Experiential Learning Opportunities o Activity 5.3: Cultivate a Community of Practice for ET Educators

5.3 TASKS/DELIVERABLES

Requested Evaluation Services and Deliverables for the awarded Vendor include, but are not limited to:

• Creation of a detailed evaluation plan,…