Request for Proposals For:

Banking Services for

WOR-WIC COMMUNITY COLLEGE

and

WOR-WIC COMMUNITY COLLEGE

FOUNDATION

32000 Campus Drive

Salisbury, MD 21804

All Proposal responses must be received prior to 2:00pm local time on March 13, 2026.

IMPORTANT: Your response may be considered Not Responsible or Non-Responsive if any portion of this inquiry is not complete. No proposal will be accepted after the date and time stated above.

Allison Canada, CPPO, C.P.M.

Executive Director of Business Support Services

NOTICE: Prospective Offerors who have received this document from a source other than the executive director of business support services should immediately go to the Wor-Wic Community College purchasing website to ensure that they have received the complete documents and any addenda or other communications issued in relation to this RFP. A firm’s failure to monitor the website may result in non-receipt of important information prior to the closing date and may result in rejection of a proposal. A prospective

Offeror who fails to monitor the Wor-Wic Community College website assumes complete responsibility in the event that they do not receive communications from the executive director of business support services prior to the closing date.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

RFP Schedule …………………………………………………………….…………….…

Section 1: General Information………….. .…………………………………..….……...…...4

Section 2: Scope of Work ……………………………………………...…………..……..…7

Section 3: Instructions to Proposing Firms ……………………………………………..…11

Section 4: Submittal Format ……………….…….….….……………………..…………...14

Section 5: Price Proposal ………………………………………………………………..…19

Section 6: Required Submission Documents………………………………..……………

Section 7: Terms and Conditions………………….……………………………….……..…34

Exhibit A: Investment Policy

Exhibit B: Estimated Monthly Transaction Volume

TENTATIVE TIME FRAME FOR PROCESS OF CONTRACTOR

SELECTION, CONTRACT AWARD AND INITIATION

The schedule for the proposal process is shown in the table below. Dates currently established for selection of contractor, contract award and contract initiation dates are included.

NOTE: OFFERING FIRMS ARE HEREBY ADVISED THAT THESE DATES ARE

SUBJECT TO CHANGE AS COLLEGE OFFICIALS DEEM APPROPRIATE AND

NECESSARY FOR PROPER FULFILLMENT OF THE INTENTIONS OF THE

PROPOSAL PROCESS.

Feb 13, 2026 Notice to Bidders published on eMaryland Marketplace Advantage, Bid

Locker and the College’s website.

Feb 27, 2026 Deadline to submit questions to acanada@worwic.edu

Mar 6, 2026 The College will issue an Addendum answering all questions.

Mar 13, 2026 Deadline to submit proposals, prior to 2:00pm.

Mar 23, 2026 Short-listed firms will be invited for oral presentations.

Apr 8-10, 2026 Oral presentations, dates and times to be determined.

Apr 20, 2026 Price proposals due, upon request.

May 15, 2026 Contract award.

July 1, 2026 Services begin.

mailto:acanada@worwic.edu

Section 1: General Information A. Wor-Wic Community College and the Wor-Wic Community College Foundation, Inc. are requesting proposals for comprehensive banking services. The contract period will be for five (5) years, with the sole option of the College and Foundation to extend for an additional five (5) year period based upon satisfactory performance.

B. This solicitation implies no obligation on the part of the College and Foundation. The

College and Foundation reserve the right to accept or reject any and all proposals in whole or in part, or to waive any technicality it deems in the best interests of the College and

Foundation.

C. The sole point of contact for this solicitation is: Allison Canada, Executive Director of

Business Support Services, email: acanada@worwic.edu Under no circumstances are firms, including third party firms or their staffs, to contact other College staff, faculty, or any related constituency for purposes associated with the RFP, including but not limited to, obtaining or providing information unless specifically noted herein. Firms failing to comply with this requirement will be disqualified.

D. Copies of this RFP and related addenda can be obtained from eMaryland Marketplace

Advantage (EMMA) and the college’s website. In order to download the RFP and Addenda, all interested firms must register as a vendor with eMaryland Marketplace Advantage on the website https://procurement.maryland.gov Bidders assume the responsibility of downloading these documents and all addenda from this website prior to submission of their response. Wor-Wic Community College assumes no liability for damages incurred directly or indirectly as a result of errors, omissions, discrepancies, unauthorized modification of electronic data, errors in transmission, HTML browser incompatibilities, and other aspects of electronic communications that are beyond the College’s control. Firms are encouraged to check EMMA on a regular basis for updates on this project. Addenda and additional information oftentimes get posted within 48 hours prior to the submission date.

E. This Request for Proposals and any resulting contract shall be governed by the Education

Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. Any contract as a result of this RFP will be governed by the laws of the State of Maryland. The awarded contractor shall at all times observe and comply with Federal, State of Maryland and local laws, ordinances, orders, codes and regulations and the articles and provisions of the Building Code(s) existing at the time of or enacted subsequent to the execution of a contract which in any manner affects the firm’s ability to perform contractual requirements.

F. Non-Performance of Work: Work will be considered incomplete or unsatisfactory when any one of the following conditions exists:

a. The work was not performed in strict accordance with the RFP and Scope of Work.

b. The work was not performed within the allotted time frame.

c. The work as required by the RFP and Scope of Work was not entirely completed.

https://procurement.maryland.gov/

The above is not exhaustive of all conditions that determine non-performance of work.

Determination of non-performance of work may be grounds for the contractor’s termination from the contract and/or withholding payments.

G. In the event the performance of work or services from this Request Proposal are delayed by causes beyond the control of and without the fault or negligence of the Contractor, the

College shall have the option to:

a. Terminate the Contract, or

b. Extend the time of the performance. No financial compensation will be awarded for the time extension.

c. Upon termination of the contract for default, the College may pay the Contractor for satisfactory performance of the services and/or delivery of the goods, less the amount of damages caused by the default, all as determined by the College in its sole discretion. If the damages exceed compensation, then the College may pursue any and all remedies available under this section as well as any remedies at law or in equity.

H. Any changes made to this Request for Proposal as a result of time delay shall be in writing.

In the event that the time for performance on this Contract is extended beyond the term provided for, all the other terms and conditions shall remain in full force and effect.

I. The contract may be in the form of a purchase order(s) and any and all related contract documents, to include, but not limited to, the College’s RFP, the firm’s Proposal, any and all subsequent correspondence; all required submittals, i.e., certificate of insurance, bonds, etc. as well as any other documents which may be required and mutually agreed upon and negotiated by the College and the awarded contractor. The Proposal, addenda and submittals required as a part of the Proposal evaluation process, will become an integral part of the final contract. Should there be any conflict between these specifications and the final contract document, the specifications contained herein shall take precedence.

J. Payment Schedules

a. Payment will be made upon receipt and acceptance of completed services by the

College and Foundation or as agreed upon by the College and Foundation, and awarded contractor.

b. The College and Foundation are exempt from Maryland State Sales and Use Taxes.

This tax exemption does not extend to the successful firm. Each firm must determine its own tax status.

K. By submitting a response to this solicitation, the firm shall be deemed to represent that it is not in arrears in the payment of any obligation due and owing the State of Maryland or the

United States of America, including the payment of taxes and employee benefits and that it shall not become so in arrears during the term of the contract if selected for contract award.

L. Notice to Proceed: After the contract has been executed and all required documents received, the College will issue to the awarded Contractor a “Notice to Proceed”. Pending approval of the contract by the College’s Board of Trustees, it is expected that the Notice to

Proceed will be issued by May 15, 2026 and contracted services shall begin on July 1, 2026.

M. Confidential/Proprietary Information

a. Proposers should give specific attention and identify those portions of their response which they consider to be confidential, proprietary information or trade secrets. Proposers must clearly indicate each and every section that is confidential, proprietary or a trade secret. It is not sufficient to preface your entire response with a confidential/proprietary statement.

b. Wor-Wic Community College and Foundat ion will not publicly disclose confidential/proprietary information obtained as a result of this RFP. To the full extent that it is protected by law and regulations, information identified by a respondent as confidential or proprietary may be kept confidential.

c. The contractor acknowledges that during the engagement he or she may have access to and become acquainted with various trade secrets, inventions, innovations, processes, information, records and specifications owned or licensed by the

College/Foundation and/or used by the College/Foundation in connection with the operation of its business including, without limitation, the College’s business and processes, methods, student lists, customer lists, accounts and procedures. The contractor agrees that he or she will not disclose any of the aforesaid, directly or indirectly, or use any of them in any manner, either during the term of this agreement or at any time thereafter, except as required in the course of this engagement with the College and Foundation. All files, records, documents, blueprints, specifications, information, letters, notes, media lists, original artwork/creative, notebooks and similar items relating to the business of the College, whether prepared by the contractor or otherwise coming into his or her possession, shall remain the exclusive property of the College. The contractor shall not retain any copies of the foregoing without the College’s prior written permission. Upon the expiration or earlier termination of the agreement, or whenever requested by the

College, the contractor shall immediately deliver to the College all such files, records, documents, specifications, information, or other items in his or her possession or under his or her control. The contractor further agrees that he or she will not disclose his or her retention as a contractor or the terms of the agreement to any person without the prior written consent of the College and shall at all times preserve the confidential nature of his or her relationship to the College and of the services hereunder.

d. All Contractors that work in the proximity of Confidential and Sensitive

Information (CSI) must agree to abide by the College’s Red Flags and Identify

Theft policies and procedures. In the event that the firm becomes aware of a red flag or data incident, the firm is required to report the incident to their point of contact at the College. The point of contact is required to notify the Chair of the

Red Flags Committee and report the incident to the Chair with the contact information of the firm and assist the Chair as necessary in incident reporting and resolution. All firms that process, store, or transport CSI provided by the college are required to give the College sufficient documentation to assess the provider’s data security risk.

Section 2: Scope of Work

A. The awarded contractor shall be an independent contractor and not an employee of the

College nor Foundation. The Contractor shall perform the services/provide the products as outlined herein. The Contractor's services/products will be provided in a manner that is satisfactory to the College and Foundation in their sole discretion.

It is the intent of the College and Foundation to establish a single contract to one bank in accordance with the scope of work below. The College and Foundation reserve the right to award separate contracts to separate banks if it is in the best interest of the College and

Foundation. Time is of the essence in the performance of this contract. Services performed late are deemed an unacceptable performance.

Subcontracting or assignment of services is prohibited unless explicit written approval is given to the bank by the Board of Trustees of Wor-Wic Community College and the Board of Directors of the Wor-Wic Community College Foundation.

B. Wor-Wic Community College, Inc. and the Wor-Wic Community College Foundation, Inc.

are requesting proposals for full-range banking services from a banking institution that has:

a. Technical Expertise:

i. Proven track record with similar institutions.

ii. Wide range of banking products and services for educational institutions and non-profit organizations.

iii. High-quality, accessible online banking platforms and technological infrastructure.

iv. Superior customer service, timely implementation support, and responsive problem resolution with clear escalation hierarchy up to senior bank leadership.

v. Compliance with regulatory standards and cybersecurity measures.

b. Financial Stability:

i. Competitive pricing structure.

ii. Transparent fee schedules and cost-effectiveness.

iii. Financial health and stability.

iv. Value-added services that provide financial benefits to the College and

Foundation.

C. Offeror Minimum Qualifications

a. General Requirements:

i. To be considered for award the Offeror must clearly state compliance with all requirements in the proposal.

b. Legal and Certification:

i. Financial institution as defined in Section 6-201(e) of the State Finance and

Procurement Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland.

ii. Certified by or member in compliance with the Federal Deposit Insurance

Corporation (FDIC).

c. Business Continuity:

i. Comprehensive plans for business continuity and recovery from disasters that are tested annually.

ii. Cyber security and data protection policies that meet recognized standards, notification timelines for data breaches, and multi-factor authentication for online users.

iii. Internal embezzlement policies, fraud training and documentation of other internal controls.

d. Collateral and Compliance:

i. Provide collateral for accounts as per Section 6-202 (1-10 & 13), 6-209, and

6-222 of the State Finance and Procurement Article and the College’s

Investment Policy. The Investment Policy is included as Exhibit A.

e. Membership and Processing:

i. Member of the National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA) and compliant with ACH manual rules for processing Electronic Funds

Transfers (EFTs).

f. Auditing

i. Annual audit by an independent certified public accounting firm with an unqualified opinion. Include Offeror’s most recent audited financial statements.

ii. Access to most recent System and Organization Controls (SOC) reports, including management responses to any findings.

g. Customer Service

i. Call centers located within the United States.

h. Branch Proximity:

i. Branch proximity to the College’s campus in Salisbury, MD is critical to the successful performance of the contract. At least one branch must be located within ten miles of the college campus, and open during normal banking hours.

i. Check Cashing:

i. Cash any valid check issued by the College or Foundation without charging a fee.

j. IT Services:

i. Provide IT services for non-visual access without relying on partnered software (plugin or ‘overlay’).

k. Overdraft Notification:

i. Immediate notification of any overdraft not fully funded within one business day.

l. Reporting Compliance:

i. Willingness to complete necessary reporting forms for compliance.

m. Banking Plan:

i. Review, analyze, and evaluate the banking requirements of Wor-Wic

Community College and the Wor-Wic Community College Foundation and provide a comprehensive banking plan. Present customized business documents outlining responsibilities before initiating services.

D. Summary of Bank Account Information

a. The bank will maintain the following College accounts.

i. Checking Account

1. Receives deposits and handles all disbursements (besides payroll)

ii. Checking ICS (Insured Cash Sweep) Account

iii. Payroll Account (ZBA central disbursement account)

1. Handles all payroll disbursements (check and direct deposit)

b. The bank will maintain the following Foundation account.

i. Checking Account

1. Receives deposits and handles all disbursements.

E. Bank Service Requirements:

a. Online account access for a minimum of ten users with administration and security access capabilities.

i. Transfer capability between all College accounts and between College and

Foundation accounts.

ii. Ability to set limits (including by dollar value) to users.

b. Wire Transfers

i. Able to process incoming and outgoing domestic and international wires using templates.

c. ACH Services

i. Provide ACH capabilities domestically and internationally compatible with

NACHA standards.

ii. Ability to send and receive ACHs from external vendors.

iii. Process and send payment in the appropriate format.

iv. Notify the College or Foundation of returned items.

d. Positive Pay

i. Security criteria must include check number, dollar amount, and payee name.

ii. Notify the College or Foundation of exceptions.

e. Online Stop Payment

i. Must have the ability to provide online processing of stop payments or other voids for paper checks issued and Positive Pay purposes.

f. Online image files of paid checks.

g. Online image files of deposits.

h. Direct Deposit Payroll Services

i. Serve as lead agency for direct deposit payroll services.

ii. Ability to transmit bi-weekly direct deposit payroll through ACH or another pre-authorized electronic funds transfer system.

iii. Ensure funds are available to employees on the morning of payday (bi-weekly Fridays).

iv. Notify the College of returned items.

v. Indemnify employees for costs if funds are not available as scheduled.

i. Automatic Overdraft Protection

i. All disbursement checks from College or Foundation accounts shall have automatic overdraft protection.

j. The ability for the Foundation to order duplicate checks.

k. The ability for the College and Foundation to order duplicate deposit tickets.

l. Provide locked bank bags with keys to transport deposit to bank.

m. Provide key to night depository at nearest branch.

F. Reporting Requirements:

a. Automated Account Monitoring

i. Provide actual ledger balance and pending debit/credit items via an automated system.

ii. Provide intra-day automated account monitoring or equivalent information by hard copy/email if not available.

iii. Provide export capability of transactions to Microsoft Excel.

b. Daily Reports

i. Beginning daily balance, payment activity, and ending balance.

ii. Daily listing of manually issued items, stop payments, void/cancelled checks, checks paid on issued/non-issued items, and closing balance.

iii. Summary of transactions by category and total dollar value.

iv. Numeric listing of checks paid and outstanding.

c. Monthly Reports

i. Monthly bank statement that includes images of paid checks.

ii. Monthly listing of manually issued items, stop payments, void/cancelled checks, checks paid on issued/non-issued items, and closing balance.

iii. Summary of transactions by category and total dollar value.

iv. Numeric listing of checks paid and outstanding.

G. Other Requirements:

a. Fee Schedule

i. If the Offeror is advanced to the pricing stage of the RFP process, then provide the current fee schedule on the RFP Price Proposal Form.

b. Principal Contact Team

i. Identify the team responsible for account operations, capable of solving issues and resolving problems.

c. Other Value-Added Services

i. In the Proposal, offerors are encouraged to describe any additional services that could benefit the College or Foundation, including detailed descriptions.

Note, the cost for such additional services shall be indicated on the Price

Proposal Form if the offeror is advanced to that stage of the RFP.

H. Additional Information

a. Refer to Exhibit B for the estimated monthly volume of transactions.

Section 3: Instructions to Proposing Firms

A. Should any proposer be in doubt as to the meaning of the scope of work, or should any discrepancy or omission be found, he/she shall submit all questions and requests for clarification in writing via email to acanada@worwic.edu on or before 2:00pm on

February 27, 2026. No oral questions will be answered.

a. Failure by the offeror to acquaint itself with all the requirements of the requested services shall not relieve the offeror from responsibility for estimating properly the difficulty or cost of successfully performing the services.

b. An Addendum to the RFP will be issued with all questions and answers. The

College will not be responsible for any oral or telephone explanations of contract documents.

c. It is the proposer’s sole responsibility to ensure receipt of all Addenda. It is highly recommended that the proposer check the College’s website and eMaryland

Marketplace Advantage (eMMA) for all posted Addenda prior to submitting their proposal. All Addenda shall become part of the contract documents.

B. Offerors must submit one (1) digital copy of the technical proposal. Proposals must include all required information and forms as outlined in Section 4: Submittal Format. All proposal packages submitted in response to this RFP must be signed. Technical Proposals will be received until 2:00pm on March 13, 2026. Technical Proposals received after this date and time will not be accepted.

Completed proposal documents must arrive electronically via Equity Hub’s Bid Locker at https://bidlocker.us/details/5681_Rfp_For_Banking_Services Please note that offerors must register on the Bid Locker site prior to submittal of documents, so please plan the upload of the proposal package accordingly. It will time out promptly at 2:00pm on March 13, 2026.

Any proposals may be withdrawn prior to this date and time; however, all proposals are considered final after 2:00pm on March 13, 2026 at which time they will be distributed to the college’s evaluation committee. Final Proposals may not be altered, withdrawn, or canceled, for a period of 120 days after this date and time.

Oral, mailed, faxed or emailed proposals are invalid and will not be given consideration.

Proposals will not be accepted electronically through eMaryland Marketplace Advantage.

Technical Proposals must not include pricing.

All costs incurred by responding firms associated with the preparation, submission, presentation or proposals and attendance at meetings, including but not limited to, costs related to transportation, meals, lodging, bonding and other related expenses, if applicable, https://bidlocker.us/details/5681_Rfp_For_Banking_Services will be the sole responsibility of the respondent and will not under any circumstances by reimbursed by the College.

C. Exceptions: It is the responsibility of the proposer to include a list and clarification of any deviations from this RFP document and the attached Wor-Wic Community College Terms and Conditions. Exceptions must be notated on, or attached to, the Contractor Information

Form.

D. Proposers must submit the names and addresses of all subcontractors to be retained for any of these services. The College has a right to reject subcontractors.

E. Errors in Proposals

a. Withdrawal of a Proposal after the deadline for receipt of Proposals will not be permitted, except as follows: in those cases where, in the sole judgment of the

College, based upon clear and demonstrable evidence, the proposing firm has made a bona fide error in the preparation of the Proposal and such error will result in substantial loss to the firm, in this instance, an exception may be made by the

College.

b. Negligence on the part of the firm in preparing its proposal confers no right of withdrawal, modification or cancellation of the Proposal after the deadline for receipt of Proposals.

c. The College reserves the right to contact any and all firms to verify information included in their Proposal and to clarify any questions regarding the information submitted in the Proposal, in order to ascertain whether the Proposal received is both responsive and responsible. The College also reserves the right to waive any formalities, informalities and technicalities in evaluation of the Proposals as are deemed appropriate, necessary and in the College’s best interest.

F. Neither the College nor the Contractor shall assign, sublet or transfer its interest or obligations under this RFP or the contract to any third party or subcontractor, without the written consent of the other. Nothing herein shall be construed to create any personal or individual liability upon any employee, officer or elected official of the College, nor shall this RFP or the contract be construed to create any rights hereunder in any person or entity other than the parties of the contract.

G. Nothing contained in this RFP and the contract shall be construed in any manner to create any relationship between the Contractor and the College or Foundation other than expressly specified herein and the Contractor and the College or Foundation shall not be considered partners or co-ventures for any purpose on account of this RFP and the contract.

H. Insurance Requirements

a. The Contractor shall maintain in force at all times during the term of the contract, such insurance that will indemnify and hold harmless the College from Worker’s

Compensation and Public Liability claims for property damage and personal injury, including death, which may arise from the contractor’s operations under the contract, or by anyone directly or indirectly employed by the contractor. The contractor’s insurance will be with an insurance carrier licensed to do business in the State of Maryland acceptable to the College, with the following minimum insurance coverage:

i. Statutory Worker's Compensation and Employer's Liability Insurance under the State of Maryland statutory requirements, to protect the Contractor from any liability or damages of any injuries (including death and disability) to any and all of its employees, volunteers, or subcontractors, including any and all liability or damage which may arise by virtue of any statute or law in force within the state of Maryland, or which may be hereinafter enacted.

ii. Commercial General Liability Insurance to protect the Contractor, its subcontractors, and the interest of Wor-Wic Community College against any and all injuries to third parties, including bodily injury, personal injury and property damage, resulting from any action or operation under the

Agreement or in connection with the contract work. The General Liability

Insurance shall provide combined single limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate, naming Wor-Wic Community College and Wor-Wic Community College Foundation, Inc. as an Additional Insured and it shall be stated on the insurance certificate with the provision that this coverage is primary to all other coverage the College may possess.

iii. Automobile Liability Insurance with limits of liability of at least $1,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence. Coverage shall include Owned, Non-owned, and Hired Automobile endorsements covering all owned, non-owned, borrowed, leased, or rented vehicles operated by the Contractor. In addition, mobile equipment used by the Contractor in connection with the

Agreement work will be insured under either a Standard Automobile

Liability Policy or a Comprehensive General Liability Policy including coverage for hired and non-owned vehicles.

iv. Professional Liability (Errors & Omissions) Insurance with limits of not less than $1,000,000 each occurrence.

b. Each of the above policies with the exception of Workers Compensation shall (a) include Wor-Wic Community College and Wor-Wic Community College

Foundation, Inc. as an additional insured, as respects operations under the Contract;

(b) cover the premises occupied by the contractor; and (c) shall cover and not exclude contractor’s liability for injury to the property of the College, the

Foundation, and to the persons or property of employees, students, faculty members, agents, officers, trustees and guests of the above named entities.

The successful offeror shall not allow any liens filed against the College or

Foundation by a person or firm for any reason arising out of the furnishing of services or materials by the contractor. Any lien filed against the College and

Foundation or its property shall be disposed of within 30 days of its filing. Failure of the contractor to dispose of such liens within the 30-day period shall constitute default.

The actions of a contractor with third parties are not binding upon Wor-Wic

Community College nor the Wor-Wic Community College Foundation, Inc.

In the event that the Contractor’s insurance is terminated, the Contractor shall immediately obtain other coverage; any lack of insurance shall be grounds for immediate termination of the contract.

I. Evaluation of Proposals

a. Proposals must meet all requirements and qualifications stated herein. Proposals that fail to meet one or more of these criteria may be ineligible for a contract award.

b. The solicitation involves a cumulative scoring process through a number of different phases by an evaluation committee. The first phase involves the review of the written technical proposals. The next phase involves inviting those with the top scores for an oral presentation and interview via Zoom, which will be scheduled during the period of April 8-10, 2026. Finally, during the last phase, the top scoring oral presentations will be requested to submit a price proposal prior to 2:00pm on

April 20, 2026.

c. The College will evaluate the proposals to determine the most responsive proposal and responsible firm. In addition to the criteria listed elsewhere in this document, proposals shall be evaluated on the following criteria:

i. 70% Company background and experience, experience with similar scopes of work, financial stability, technical capability, compliance and risk management, service quality and customer support, project management and implementation plan, references and case studies, accessibility.

ii. 30% Cost and value: pricing structure and value-added services.

d. Qualified proposals shall be evaluated in accordance with the scope of work and evaluation criteria contained herein by the College’s evaluation committee. The

College may make such investigations as are deemed necessary to determine the ability of a firm to provide the work as specified herein. Award shall be recommended for the proposer which is judged to be best qualified and provide the best value to render the services.

e. The College reserves the right to clarify information submitted in a Proposal to determine whether an error has been made or whether a waiver of formality, informality or technicality is appropriate. Firms shall furnish the College all such information and data necessary for the College to determine if the Proposal is responsible and responsive to the College’s requirements as stated herein.

f. The College reserves the right to solicit best and final offers only from a short list of respondents receiving the highest evaluated scores. If short listing occurs, best and final offers shall be solicited from not less than two of the highest evaluated scores.

g. The College reserves the right to negotiate or modify any element of the proposal to ensure that the best possible arrangement for achieving the stated purpose is obtained.

J. If the contractor to whom an award is made shall fail to execute the contract as specified, the award may be annulled and the contract awarded to the second most responsive and responsible proposer, and such firm shall fulfill every stipulation included herein, as if the firm were the original party to whom the award was made, or again, the College may at that point reject any and/or all of the Proposals as its best interest may require.

Section 4: Submittal Format

A. All proposals are expected to be prepared in accordance with the format listed below.

Furthermore, the proposal should be signed, endorsed with the statement “RFP –Banking

Services.”

B. The proposal should address each section as outlined below in order for the College to make a proper and complete evaluation of the Proposer’s capabilities and response.

Proposals not in conformance with or responsive to the stated requirements may be rejected at the discretion of College officials.

C. The proposal shall be clear and concise. Proposal shall be formatted to print on 8 ½” x 11” paper only. Pages must be numbered. Technical proposals must not include pricing.

Vague and general proposals, and proposals with pricing included will be considered non-responsive and result in disqualification. Non-conforming and non-responsive proposals may be rejected at the discretion of College officials.

D. Organization of Proposal: Technical Proposals must be organized in the following format.

Failure to include all the documents may render the proposal non-responsive and the offer may be rejected.

a. Title page

b. Executive Summary

c. Background and Experience

d. Technical Expertise

e. Financial stability

f. Specialized Banking Services

g. Implementation Plan

h. SOC 2 Report

i. VPAT Report

j. Contractor Information Form

k. Project Proposal Form

l. Client References

m. Conflict of Interest Statement

n. Ethics Statement

o. Bid/Proposal Affidavit

p. Price Proposal Form (only to be submitted upon invitation after oral presentations)

E. Title Page: At a minimum, the title page shall be on company letterhead and shall include the name and working address of the firm submitting a Proposal, the name and telephone number of the primary company representative to be contacted with reference to the

Proposal, email address for said contact and the date of submission. In addition, the page should contain the following statement: “RFP – Banking Services.” The title page shall be signed by the person or persons required and authorized to legally bind the firm to the proposal and shall specifically state that the firm shall complete all services set forth in the proposal within the proposed time limits to the satisfaction of the College. Any justification or explanatory materials relevant to the Proposal shall be set forth in this letter. The letter shall be concise and need not repeat any of the detailed information set forth in the

Proposal.

F. Executive Summary: This section shall demonstrate the Proposer’s full understanding of the needs of Wor-Wic Community College and Foundation as stated in the Scope of Work.

This section must provide a detailed description of the services as requested in this RFP as well as detail the necessary steps, tools, and processes to complete the Scope of Work.

a. Overview: Briefly summarize the proposal, highlighting the key points your technical expertise and financial stability.

b. Objectives: State how your services align with the College’s objectives in the Scope of Work.

c. The Proposer must have the ability to meet all mandatory requirements as described in this RFP.

G. Background and Experience

a. Provide an overview of the bank’s qualifications, experience, and commitment to serving our College and Foundation.

b. Detail any banking products and services you offer specifically for educational institutions.

c. Provide a listing of full-service branches located in Wicomico County near the

College’s Salisbury, MD campus.

d. Provide evidence of good standing with FDIC.

e. Provide evidence of being in good standing and approved depository in accordance with the State of Maryland.

f. Provide any additional evidence of compliance with relevant banking regulations and licenses.

g. Disclose any principal officer or director who is an employee or in any way affiliated with the College or Foundation.

H. Technical Expertise

a. Online Banking Platforms: Describe your online banking platforms, emphasizing accessibility and technological infrastructure.

b. Customer Service: Outline your customer service approach, including implementation support and problem resolution processes. Identify the team who would be responsible for the College and Foundation accounts and problem resolution.

c. Compliance and Cybersecurity: Explain your compliance with regulatory standards and cybersecurity measures.

d. Value-Added Services: Highlight any additional services that offer technical or financial benefits to the College.

e. Provide most recent statement of pledged collateral for pooled public funds and confirmation of understanding and willingness to comply, regarding potential deposits of individually pledged collateral with a qualified trustee as security for repayment of college moneys deposited pursuant to this RFP during the period of this agreement. The Proposer must confirm their understanding of this option.

I. Specialized Banking Services

a. Service Offerings: Detail the specialized banking services you provide to help manage the College’s finances effectively.

J. Implementation Plan

a. Timeline: Provide a detailed timeline for the implementation of your services.

b. Milestones: Identity key milestones and deliverables throughout the implementation process.

c. Project Manager: Identify the project manager for the implementation.

K. Financial

a. Only those Proposer’s invited to submit a Price Proposal after oral presentations shall respond to this section.

b. Provide either a monthly fixed rate fee or a rate schedule for services on the RFP’s

Price Proposal Form in Section 6.

c. Pricing Structure: Present your competitive pricing structure and transparent fee schedules on the Price Proposal form provided.

d. Financial Health: Provide information on your financial health and stability.

Provide the Proposer's most recent audited financial statements.

L. Data Protection – SOC 2 Report

a. Proposers must provide a current System and Organization Controls (SOC) 2 Type

II report. This report must be issued by an independent third-party auditor and demonstrate the Proposer’s adherence to key trust service criteria, including security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. The report should cover a minimum of six months and be no older than 12 months from the date of submission.

b. This is a mandatory report. Failure to provide a SOC 2 report may result in the

Proposal being deemed not reasonably susceptible for a contract award.

M. Digital Accessibility – VPAT Report

a. A digital or information technology resource should be both functionally accessible

(usable by a person with a disability) and technically accessible (developed according to technical standards) to ensure it is accessible to all users.

b. All information and communication technology (ICT) developed, purchased, upgraded or renewed by or for use of the College must comply with all applicable policies, Federal and State laws and regulations including, but not limited to, Code of Maryland Regulations 14.33.02, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C.

794d) and all other regulations disseminated under Title II of The Americans with

Disabilities Act, which are applicable to all benefits, services, programs, and activities provided by or on behalf of the College.

c. Proposers must comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1

Level AA.

d. Proposers must submit an accessibility conformance report with response, if offering electronic content, software, hardware or support documentation and services in response to this solicitation. If an accessibility conformance report is not available, the Proposer must complete the VPAT and submit with response.

e. This is a mandatory procedural requirement. Failure to supply a VPAT may result in the Proposal being deemed not reasonably susceptible for award.

N. Proposal Form 1: Contractor Information Form

O. Proposal Form 2: Project Proposal Form

P. Proposal Form 3: References. Provide three (3) current client references which are located in the Salisbury, MD area and to whom services of equivalent requirements, scope and complexity are being performed. Ensure that contact information is current because the

College may contact references as it deems necessary to determine the ability of the

Proposer to meet the stated scope of work and terms stated in this RFP. Use, and duplicate, the form provided in Section 6.

Q. Proposal Form 4: Conflict of Interest Statement

a. In compliance with the State Public Ethics and Conflict of Interest Law, Annotated

Code of Maryland, Section 15-101, etc. acquisitions from a business in which the trustee or employee has an interest are prohibited. Interest is deemed present if the trustee or employee or a spouse, parent, child, brother or sister of the trustee or employee has an interest and the trustee or employee knows of the interest.

b. Procurement using federal funds, in addition to above conflict of interest statement, must comply with Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200.318 (C )(1): no employee, officer or agent may participate in the selection, award, or administration of a contract supported by a federal award if he or she has a real or apparent conflict of interest.

Such a conflict of interest would arise when an employee, officer or agent, any member of his or her immediate family, his or her partner, or an organization which employs or is about to employ any of the parties indicated herein, has a financial or other interest in or has or will receive a tangible personal benefit from a firm considered for a contract.

R. Proposal Form 5: Ethics Statement. In compliance with the Public Ethics Law contained in the Maryland Annotated Code, Section 15-101, etc. it is illegal for any officer or employee of an agency conducting the procurement to solicit or obtain any proprietary or source selection information regarding the procurement prior to the award of contract.

S. Proposal Form 6: Bid/Proposal Affidavit Form

T. Proposal Form 7: Price Proposal Form (only to be submitted by firms who are invited after oral presentations)

U. Financial Statement

a. The College, at any time during the RFP process, before and/or after receipt of proposals and before and/or after award of contract, may require additional documentation to provide evidence of financial stability, and or to reduce the risk exposure of the College. Additional documentation may include but not be limited to:

1) Independently audited, reviewed, or compiled financial statements for the two most recent complete years. Financial statements should include

Balance Sheet, Income Statement and Statement of Cash Flows, as well as notes, disclosures and/or opinions as referenced in the auditor’s report.

2) If audited, reviewed, or compiled financial statements are not available, the firm shall provide the following documents to support financial stability:

3) A letter of reference from the firm's bank or financial institution,

4) Credit reference letters,

5) Internal financial statements,

6) The two most recent year’s tax returns.

b. The college, at its option, may require additional documentation to provide evidence of financial stability, and or to reduce the risk exposure of the College.

Additional documentation may include but not be limited to complete Dun &

Bradstreet report inclusive of a Dun & Bradstreet rating, interim internal financial reports, performance bond, letter of credit, or the establishment of an escrow account.

c. By submitting a response to this solicitation, the firm represents that it is not in arrears in the payment of any obligation due and owing the State of Maryland, including the payment of taxes and employee benefits and that it will not become in arrears during the term of the contract if selected for contract award.

d. If this information is requested by the College, then these are mandatory requirements. Failure to prove Financial Stability when requested may result in the Proposal being deemed not reasonably susceptible for award.

Section 5: Price Proposal

A. Price Proposal

a. The RFP evaluation involves a cumulative multi-step process. Only those firms who receive top scores after oral presentations will be invited to submit a Price

Proposal.

b. Price Proposals shall be submitted on the provided form and signed by an authorized representative of the proposing firm and shall be in accordance with the requirements of this RFP and all addenda. It should be noted that the College is a tax-exempt entity; as a result, proposals may not include tax.

c. By submitting a proposal, it is understood that your firm agrees to provide said services as specified and that those services shall be provided or performed in accordance with the RFP specifications, stipulations and terms and conditions specified and that your firm has read and agrees to the College terms, conditions, stipulations, and specifications and any College approved or authorized exceptions, and that your firm will adhere to said terms and conditions in any contract resulting.

d. It is also understood that the proposed price will be firm for a period of 120 calendar days from the deadline for receipt of price proposals and that if the authorized signatory is notified of acceptance of this price within this time period, the firm shall execute a contract for the proposed compensation.

e. All rates and fees, charges, and costs shall be clearly stated. It should be noted that the College will not reimburse for travel, meals, lodging, etc. All reimbursables must be incorporated into the billable rates.

End of Section 5

Section 6: Required Submission Documents

PROPOSAL FORM 1 – CONTRACTOR INFORMATION FORM

I/We offer the terms, delivery and pricing for the requested products/services, and certify that I am a bona fide agent, authorized to make offers on behalf of the firm.

(Printed name of Offeror)

Minority Contractor: ____ (yes) ______ (no)

If yes, please specify minority classification __________________________________

Please list any exceptions taken to any terms and conditions or scope of work listed in the Request for

Proposals. Please note any exceptions taken that may affect the award of a contract or purchase order:

Please provide the following information:

Company Name: ___________________________ Years in Business: ____________________

Federal Tax Id: ____________________________

Street Address: __________________________ _ City: _______________________________

___________________________ State, Zip ___________________________

Office phone number: ______________________ Fax number: _________________________

Cell phone number: ________________________ Email address: _______________________

Contact Person: ___________________________ Title: _______________________________

Name and experience of proposed manager on this project:

Name and address of subcontractor(s) proposed on this project:

If applicable, attach a list of company-owned equipment.

Company Name Name

Title Authorized signature and date

PROPOSAL FORM 2 – PROJECT PROPOSAL

To Whom It May Concern:

I/We ____________________________________________________________ of ____________________________________________________________

The undersigned, after having examined the RFP prepared by Wor-Wic Community College, do/does hereby offer to provide student success software in accordance with RFP – Banking

Services including addenda issued prior to date of receipt of Proposals which is/are acknowledged via signature below.

A. SUBMITTAL OF PROPOSAL

By submitting a Proposal, the undersigned also hereby agrees that from its review of the

RFP and the attachments, the firm fully understands the intent and purpose of the documents and conditions of submitting a Proposal. Claims for additional compensation and/or extensions of time because of the firm’s failure to follow the foregoing procedure, and to familiarize itself with the contract documents and all conditions which might affect the work, will not be allowed.

B. ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSALS

The undersigned agrees that this Proposal may be held by the College for a period not to exceed 120 days from the date stated for opening of Proposals. If written notice of acceptance of this Proposal is mailed, telegraphed or delivered to the undersigned within the time noted above, after the date of the opening of Proposals, or at any time hereafter before this Proposal is withdrawn, the undersigned agrees that it will execute and deliver a contract in the form prescribed by the College in accordance with the Proposal as accepted.

It is understood and agreed that the College reserves the right to award the contract in its best interests, to reject any and all Proposals, to waive any informalities in the Proposals, and to hold all Proposals for the period above noted.

C TIME FOR COMPLETION OF WORK

The undersigned agrees, if awarded the contract, to complete the contract work within the time frame specified within the RFP.

D. DECLARATIONS

We/I the undersigned firm, declare that the only person, firm, or corporation, or persons, firms or corporations, that has or have any interest in the Proposal, or in the contracts proposed to be taken, is or are the undersigned. The undersigned also certifies that this

Proposal is made without previous understanding, agreement or connection with any person, firm or corporation submitting a Proposal for this same project and is, in all respects, fair and without collusion or…