RFP Document.pdf

STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA

South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation

123 W. Missouri Ave, Pierre, SD 57501

South Dakota Reemployment Assistance Fund Accounting Modernization

PROPOSALS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN: Friday, December 27, 2024

RFP#: 24RFP11965 State Point(s) of Contact (POC): Pauline Heier and Andrew

Szilvasi

Email: Pauline.Heier@state.sd.us

Andrew.Szilvasi@state.sd.us

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PRIMARY CONTACT INFORMATION

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ADDRESS: TYPE OR PRINT NAME:

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mailto:Pauline.Heier@state.sd.us mailto:Andrew.Szilvasi@state.sd.us

1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1 PURPOSE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

The State of South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation (DLR) is seeking proposals for a Reemployment Assistance (RA) [formerly known as Unemployment Insurance] Fund Accounting Software to replace its current integration. This request for proposal (RFP) is intended to gather vendors’ organizational and IT development information regarding software, industry implementation approaches and solutions to develop, operate, and support a modernized Fund Accounting System. The information gathered through this process will be used for Reemployment Assistance modernization planning purposes and may be used in the development of a binding agreement between the potential winning responder to assist the State in implementing a RA modernization solution.

Currently, the DLR RA Fund Accounting system utilizes an ‘in-house’ system that was developed for, and resides in, a mainframe environment. The RA system needs to migrate from mainframe to a modern, cloud-based environment. Azure is the State of South Dakota’s preferred cloud environment, however other platforms will be considered.

Responses will be reviewed by DLR and Bureau of Information Telecommunications (BIT) staff. Respondents providing clear, concise information may be invited to make oral presentations to staff members. Presentations may be requested to be held via visual electronic conferencing. It is possible some respondents will not be invited due to logistical and time constraints.

This RFP is designed to:

• Identify technology that may provide new or improved RA software benefits;

• Gather cost estimates to assess the scope and size of the project;

• Invite top-ranked respondent(s) to demonstrate their products/services; and

• Enable state staff members to compare Fund Accounting systems or prototypes.

1.2 ISSUING OFFICE AND RFP REFERENCE NUMBER

The SD Department of Labor and Regulation (DLR) is the issuing office for this document and all subsequent addenda relating to it, on behalf of the State of South Dakota, SD Department of Labor and Regulation. The reference number for the transaction is #24RFP11965.This number must be referred to on all proposals, correspondence, and documentation relating to the RFP.

1.3 LETTER OF INTENT

Any interested offerors may submit an electronic Letter of Intent to respond to this RFP.

The Letter of Intent is to be submitted to Pauline Heier and Andrew Szilvasi via email at the email addresses provided on cover sheet (page 1), no later than November 27, 2024.

Please place the following in the subject line of your email: “Letter of Intent for RFP

24RFP11965”.

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

RFP Issuance Date November 14, 2024 Letter of Intent to Respond & Vendor Questions due November 27, 2024 Responses to Offerors Questions December 11, 2024 Proposal Submission Due December 27, 2024

Vendor Presentations (optional) January/February 2025 Anticipated Award Decision February 19, 2025

1.4 SUBMITTING YOUR PROPOSAL

All proposals must be completed and received in the SD Department of Labor and Regulation email inbox of the named POC by the date and time indicated in the Schedule of Activities.

Proposals received after the deadline will be late and ineligible for consideration.

All proposals must be signed by an officer of the responder, legally authorized to bind the responder to the proposal. Proposals should be submitted as electronic copies. Attachments need to be 20 MB or less and cannot be zipped or encrypted. Proposal emails should include the appropriate RFP Number and Title in the subject line. Proposals should be addressed and labeled as follows:

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL # 24RFP11965

PROPOSAL DUE: December 27, 2024 STATE POC: Pauline Heier Pauline.Heier@state.sd.us and Andrew.Szilvasi@state.sd.us, South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation

No proposal shall be accepted from, or no contract or purchase order shall be awarded to any person, firm or corporation that is in arrears upon any obligations to the State of South Dakota, or that otherwise may be deemed irresponsible or unreliable by the State of South Dakota.

1.5 CERTIFICATION REGARDING DEBARMENT, SUSPENSION, INELIGIBILITY AND

VOLUNTARY EXCLUSION – LOWER TIER COVERED TRANSACTIONS

By signing and submitting this proposal, the offeror certifies that neither it nor its principals is presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation, by any Federal department or agency, from transactions involving the use of Federal funds. Where the offeror is unable to certify to any of the statements in this certification, the bidder shall attach an explanation to their offer.

1.6 NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

The State of South Dakota requires that all contractors, vendors, and suppliers doing business with any State agency, department, or institution, provide a statement of non-discrimination. By signing and submitting their proposal, the offeror certifies they do not discriminate in their employment practices with regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, ancestry, national origin or disability.

1.7 CERTIFICATION RELATING TO PROHIBITED ENTITY

For contractors, vendors, suppliers, or subcontractors who enter into a contract with the State of South Dakota by submitting a response to this solicitation or agreeing to contract with the State, the bidder or offeror certifies and agrees that the following information is correct:

The bidder or offeror, in preparing its response or offer or in considering proposals submitted from qualified, potential vendors, suppliers, and subcontractors, or in the solicitation, selection, or commercial treatment of any vendor, supplier, or subcontractor, is not an entity, regardless of its principal place of business, that is ultimately owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by a foreign national, a foreign parent entity, or foreign government from China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Cuba, or Venezuela, as defined by South Dakota Executive Order 2023-02. It is understood and agreed that, if this certification is false, such false certification will constitute grounds for the State to reject the bid or response submitted by the bidder or offeror on this project and terminate any contract awarded based on the bid or response.

The successful bidder or offeror further agrees to provide immediate written notice to the contracting executive branch agency if during the term of the contract it no longer complies with this certification and agrees such noncompliance may be grounds for contract termination.

1.8 RESTRICTION OF BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL

For contractors, vendors, suppliers, or subcontractors with five (5) or more employees who enter into a contract with the State of South Dakota that involves the expenditure of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) or more, by submitting a response to this solicitation or agreeing to contract with the State, the bidder or offeror certifies and agrees that the following information is correct:

The bidder or offeror, in preparing its response or offer or in considering proposals submitted from qualified, potential vendors, suppliers, and subcontractors, or in the solicitation, selection, or commercial treatment of any vendor, supplier, or subcontractor, has not refused to transact business activities, has not terminated business activities, and has not taken other similar actions intended to limit its commercial relations, related to the subject matter of the bid or offer, with a person or entity on the basis of Israeli national origin, or residence or incorporation in Israel or its territories, with the specific intent to accomplish a boycott or divestment of Israel in a discriminatory manner. It is understood and agreed that, if this certification is false, such false certification will constitute grounds for the State to reject the bid or response submitted by the bidder or offeror on this project and terminate any contract awarded based on the bid or response. The successful bidder or offeror further agrees to provide immediate written notice to the contracting executive branch agency if during the term of the contract it no longer complies with this certification and agrees such noncompliance may be grounds for contract termination.

1.9 MODIFICATION OR WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSALS

Proposals may be modified or withdrawn by the offeror prior to the established due date and time.

No oral, telephonic, telegraphic or facsimile responses or modifications to informal, formal bids, or Request for Proposals will be considered.

1.10 OFFEROR INQUIRIES

Offerors may email inquiries concerning this RFP to obtain clarification of requirements. No inquiries will be accepted after the date and time indicated in the Schedule of Activities.

Inquiries must be emailed to Pauline Heier at Pauline.Heier@state.sd.us and Andrew Szilvasi at Andrew.Szilvasi@state.sd.us the subject line “RFP #24RFP11965.

The South Dakota Department of Labor will respond to offeror’s inquiries (if required) via e-mail. In addition, all inquiries and the State’s response will be posted on the state’s e-procurement system. Offerors may not rely on any other statements, either of a written or oral nature, that alter any specification or other term or condition of this RFP. Offerors will be notified in the same manner as indicated above regarding any modifications to this RFP.

1.11 PROPRIETARY INFORMATION

The proposal of the successful offeror(s) becomes public information. Proprietary information can be protected under limited circumstances such as client lists and non-public financial statements. An entire proposal may not be marked as proprietary. Offerors must clearly identify in the Executive Summary and mark in the body of the proposal any specific proprietary information they are requesting to be protected. The Executive Summary must contain specific justification explaining why the information is to be protected. Proposals may be reviewed and evaluated by any person at the discretion of the State. All materials submitted become the property of the State of South Dakota and may be returned only at the State's option.

1.12 LENGTH OF CONTRACT

Contracts will be annual agreements that may include 1 renewal lasting up to 18 months.

Awards are always subject to the availability of funds and the expenditure-authority as appropriated by the South Dakota Legislature.

Funding after the initial contract period for successful Applicants will be by way of the noted renewal options and will be based upon a request for continuation, to be issued at the sole discretion of DLR. DLR does not guarantee a subsequent award of funds and the exercise of the optional renewal possibility may be based upon the successful Applicant’s compliance with state and federal policies, responsiveness to monitoring and technical requirements under this award, completion or sufficient progress toward stated goals and objectives, timely submission of required reports, participation in DLR-sponsored meetings/trainings, collaborative partnerships established, and verification of the contracted number of apprentices participating in Registered Apprenticeship Programs.

In the event necessity compels, DLR reserves the right to recompete the awarded funds after the initial contract period.

1.13 GOVERNING LAW

Venue for any and all legal action regarding or arising out of the transaction covered herein shall be solely in the State of South Dakota. The laws of South Dakota shall govern this transaction.

1.14 CERTIFICATION OF NO STATE LEGISLATOR INTEREST

Offeror (i) understands neither a state legislator nor a business in which a state legislator has an ownership interest may be directly or indirectly interested in any contract with the State that was authorized by any law passed during the term for which that legislator was elected, or within one year thereafter, and (ii) has read South Dakota Constitution Article 3, Section 12 and has had the opportunity to seek independent legal advice on the applicability of that provision to any Agreement entered into as a result of this RFP. By signing an Agreement pursuant to this RFP, Offeror hereby certifies that the Agreement is not made in violation of the South Dakota Constitution Article 3, Section 12.

1.15 DISCUSSIONS WITH OFFERORS (ORAL PRESENTATION/NEGOTIATIONS)

An oral presentation by an offeror to clarify a proposal may be required at the sole discretion of DLR. However, DLR may award a contract based on the initial proposals received without discussion with the Offeror. If oral presentations are required, they will be scheduled after the submission of proposals. Oral presentations will be made at the offeror’s expense.

This process is a Request for Proposal/Competitive Negotiation process. Each Proposal shall be evaluated, and each respondent shall be available for negotiation meetings at the State’s request. The State reserves the right to negotiate on any and/or all components of every proposal submitted. From the time the proposals are submitted until the formal award of a contract, each proposal is considered a working document and as such, will be kept confidential. The negotiation discussions will also be held as confidential until such time as the award is completed.

2.0 STANDARD CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Any contract or agreement resulting from this RFP will include the State’s standard terms and conditions as listed below, along with any additional terms and conditions as negotiated by the parties:

2.1 The Contractor will perform those services described in the Scope of Work, attached hereto as Section 3 of the RFP and by this reference incorporated herein.

2.2 The Contractor’s services under this Agreement shall commence on and end on , unless sooner terminated pursuant to the terms hereof.

2.3 The Contractor will not use State equipment, supplies or facilities. The Contractor will provide the State with its Employer Identification Number, Federal Tax Identification Number or Social Security Number upon execution of this Agreement.

2.4 The State will make payment for services upon satisfactory completion of the services. The TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT is an amount not to exceed $ . The State will not pay Contractor's expenses as a separate item. Payment will be made pursuant to itemized invoices submitted with a signed state voucher. Payment will be made consistent with SDCL ch.

5-26.

2.5 The Contractor agrees to indemnify the State of South Dakota, its officers, agents, and employees, from and against all claims or proceedings for actions, suits, damages, liabilities, other losses or equitable relief that may arise at least in part as a result of an act or omission in performing services under this Agreement. The Contractor shall defend the State of South Dakota, its officers, agents, and employees against any claim, including any claim, action, suit, or other proceeding related to the claim. The Contractor’s obligation to indemnify includes the payment of attorney fees and other costs of defense. In defending the State of South Dakota, its officers, agents, and employees, the Contractor shall engage other professionals, subject to the written approval of the State which shall not be unreasonably withheld. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the State may, in its sole discretion and at the expense of the Contractor, engage attorneys and other professionals to defend the State of South Dakota, its officers, agents, and employees, or to assist the Contractor in the defense. This section does not require the Contractor to be responsible for or defend against claims or proceedings for damages, liabilities, losses or equitable relief arising solely from errors or omissions of the State, its officers, agents or employees.

2.6 The Contractor, at all times during the term of this Agreement, shall obtain and maintain in force insurance coverage of the types and with the limits as follows:

A. Commercial General Liability Insurance:

The Contractor shall maintain occurrence based commercial general liability insurance or equivalent form with a limit of not less than $1,000,000.00 for each occurrence. If such insurance contains a general aggregate limit it shall apply separately to this Agreement or be no less than two times the occurrence limit.

B. Professional Liability Insurance or Miscellaneous Professional Liability Insurance:

The Contractor agrees to procure and maintain professional liability insurance or miscellaneous professional liability insurance with a limit not less than $1,000,000.00.

C. Business Automobile Liability Insurance:

The Contractor shall maintain business automobile liability insurance or equivalent form with a limit of not less than $1,000,000.00 for each accident.

Such insurance shall include coverage for owned, hired and non-owned vehicles.

D. Worker’s Compensation Insurance:

The Contractor shall procure and maintain workers’ compensation and employers’ liability insurance as required by South Dakota law.

Before beginning work under this Agreement, Contractor shall furnish the State with properly executed Certificates of Insurance which shall clearly evidence all insurance required in this Agreement. In the event a substantial change in insurance, issuance of a new policy, cancellation or nonrenewal of the policy, the Contractor agrees to provide immediate notice to the State and provide a new certificate of insurance showing continuous coverage in the amounts required. Contractor shall furnish copies of insurance policies if requested by the State.

2.7 While performing services hereunder, the Contractor is an independent contractor and not an officer, agent, or employee of the State of South Dakota.

2.8 Contractor agrees to report to the State any event encountered in the course of performance of this Agreement which results in injury to the person or property of third parties, or which may otherwise subject Contractor or the State to liability. Contractor shall report any such event to the State immediately upon discovery.

Contractor's obligation under this section shall only be to report the occurrence of any event to the State and to make any other report provided for by their duties or applicable law.

Contractor's obligation to report shall not require disclosure of any information subject to privilege or confidentiality under law (e.g., attorney-client communications). Reporting to the State under this section shall not excuse or satisfy any obligation of Contractor to report any event to law enforcement or other entities under the requirements of any applicable law.

2.9 This Agreement may be terminated by either party hereto upon thirty (30) days written notice.

In the event the Contractor breaches any of the terms or conditions hereof, this Agreement may be terminated by the State at any time with or without notice. If termination for such a default is effected by the State, any payments due to Contractor at the time of termination may be adjusted to cover any additional costs to the State because of Contractor's default. Upon termination the State may take over the work and may award another party an agreement to complete the work under this Agreement. If after the State terminates for a default by Contractor it is determined that Contractor was not at fault, then the Contractor shall be paid for eligible services rendered and expenses incurred up to the date of termination.

2.10 This Agreement depends upon the continued availability of appropriated funds and expenditure authority from the Legislature for this purpose. If for any reason the Legislature fails to appropriate funds or grant expenditure authority, or funds become unavailable by operation of law or federal funds reductions, this Agreement will be terminated by the State.

Termination for any of these reasons is not a default by the State nor does it give rise to a claim against the State.

2.11 This Agreement may not be assigned without the express prior written consent of the State.

This Agreement may not be amended except in writing, which writing shall be expressly identified as a part hereof and be signed by an authorized representative of each of the parties hereto.

2.12 This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of South Dakota. Any lawsuit pertaining to or affecting this Agreement shall be venued in Circuit Court, Sixth Judicial Circuit, Hughes County, South Dakota.

2.13 The Contractor will comply with all federal, state and local laws, regulations, ordinances, guidelines, permits and requirements applicable to providing services pursuant to this Agreement, and will be solely responsible for obtaining current information on such requirements.

2.14 The Contractor may not use subcontractors to perform the services described herein without the express prior written consent of the State. The Contractor will include provisions in its subcontracts requiring its subcontractors to comply with the applicable provisions of this Agreement, to indemnify the State, and to provide insurance coverage for the benefit of the State in a manner consistent with this Agreement. The Contractor will cause its subcontractors, agents, and employees to comply, with applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations, ordinances, guidelines, permits and requirements and will adopt such review and inspection procedures as are necessary to assure such compliance.

Contractor hereby acknowledges and agrees that all reports, plans, specifications, technical data, miscellaneous drawings, software system programs and documentation, procedures, or files, operating instructions and procedures, source code(s) and documentation, including those necessary to upgrade and maintain the software program, and all information contained therein provided to the State by the Contractor in connection with its performance of services under this Agreement shall belong to and is the property of the State and will not be used in any way by the Contractor without the written consent of the State. Papers, reports, forms, software programs, source code(s) and other material which are a part of the work under this Agreement will not be copyrighted without written approval of the State.

2.15 The Contractor certifies that neither Contractor nor its principals are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment or suspension, or declared ineligible from participating in transactions by the federal government or any state or local government department or agency. Contractor further agrees that it will immediately notify the State if during the term of this Agreement Contractor or its principals become subject to debarment, suspension or ineligibility from participating in transactions by the federal government, or by any state or local government department or agency.

2.16 Any notice or other communication required under this Agreement shall be in writing and sent to the address set forth above. Notices shall be given by and to on behalf of the State, and by , on behalf of the Contractor, or such authorized designees as either party may from time to time designate in writing. Notices or communications to or between the parties shall be deemed to have been delivered when mailed by first class mail, provided that notice of default or termination shall be sent by registered or certified mail, or, if personally delivered, when received by such party.

2.17 In the event that any court of competent jurisdiction shall hold any provision of this

Agreement unenforceable or invalid, such holding shall not invalidate or render unenforceable any other provision hereof.

2.18 All other prior discussions, communications and representations concerning the subject matter of this Agreement are superseded by the terms of this Agreement, and except as specifically provided herein, this Agreement constitutes the entire agreement with respect to the subject matter hereof.

Requirements, Expectations, and Scope of Work

Technology Requirements/Section 3 Introduction:

Respondents must provide technology requirements for their product(s) including, if necessary, any special needs for making application modifications or deployment. If special third party or proprietary hardware or software is required in the environment, the respondent must include those details in their response.

It is recommended the proposed solution be cloud-hosted, preferable in the State’s Azure Cloud environment. If not proposing this, then please explain the reasons. The contract doubles as an agreement for the State to own the data tables and is able to manipulate data, run reports as needed, pull code tables, access raw data, and develop dashboards as needed through Microsoft Power BI, ESRI, Tableau and associated platforms.

As part of the State’s Identity and Access Management (IAM) strategy, the proposed solution will need to integrate with the State of South Dakota’s standard identity management service single sign-on (SSO) which enables custom control of how citizens and state employees sign up, sign in, and manage their profiles.

The SSO supports the industry standard protocols OpenID Connect and OAuth 2.0. This identity management will handle password recovery and Multi-factor Authentication (MFA). MFA is required for all application Administrators and may be required for other users. Microsoft’s official documentation on the identity provider the State has implemented can be found at: 1) https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory-b2c/ and https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory-b2c/integrate-with-app-code-samples for public/citizens (Azure B2C), 2) https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/architecture/auth-oauth2 and https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/develop/v2-protocols-oidc for state employees, businesses, partners, providers, etc. (Microsoft Entra ID).

The offeror must describe how new users are onboarded/provisioned in the system using an external identity provider an Identity/SSO/Login Design Document.

The offeror must describe how the system can adapt to business necessary interfaces using widely adopted open APIs and standards. Additionally, DLR expects that the offeror will make available/expose software services and publish documentation for those software services that would enable third party developers to interface other business applications.

A detailed description of system capability shall be included in the proposal.

The offeror must provide a solution diagram providing specific details of how the entire solution will meet the requirements of the RFI. This will include integration with the State’s infrastructure, existing systems that will integrate with the proposed solution, how data would flow between systems, the technology stack of the solution including any dependencies, and include user onboarding/provision, SSO, etc.

State standard technology should be utilized unless there is a reason not to. If your proposal recommends using non-standard technology, the proposal should very clearly indicate what non-standard technology is being proposed and why it is necessary to use non-standard technology. The costs of such non-standard technology should be reflected in your cost estimate. See https://www.sd.gov/bit?id=bit_standards_overview for lists of the State’s standards. The proposal should also include a link to your hardware and software specifications.

If non-standard technology is used, the costs must include support since BIT can only guarantee best effort support for non-standard technology. The proposal should also include the development and implementation of a disaster recovery plan since non-standard technology will not be covered by the State’s disaster recovery plan. This should also be reflected in the cost estimate.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory-b2c/ https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory-b2c/integrate-with-app-code-samples https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory-b2c/integrate-with-app-code-samples https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/architecture/auth-oauth2 https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/architecture/auth-oauth2 https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/develop/v2-protocols-oidc https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/develop/v2-protocols-oidc https://www.sd.gov/bit?id=bit_standards_overview

Section 3: Requirements and Scope of Work

3.1 Core Requirements:

The proposed accounting system must meet the following minimum requirements:

• General Ledger (GL): Automated recording of transactions with customizable chart of accounts.

• Accounts Payable (AP): Vendor management, invoice processing, and payment automation.

• Accounts Receivable (AR): Customer billing, invoicing, and collection tracking.

• Bank Reconciliation: Automated bank statement imports and reconciliation with accounting records.

3.2 Integration Requirements:

• API availability for third-party software integration.

• Data migration services from the existing system, ensuring data integrity.

• Note: Current system is not integrated with state’s existing ERP, CRM, payroll, or HR system. Modernized system will remain ‘stand-alone’ and will be used strictly for RA fund accounting purposes only.

3.3 User Access and Security:

• Role-based access controls and user permissions.

• Support for multi-user collaboration with audit trails.

• Secure data encryption and compliance with data privacy regulations.

3.4 Scalability and Flexibility:

• The system must be scalable to accommodate future growth, including adding new users, divisions, or entities.

• Customizable dashboards and workflows to meet specific user needs.

3.5 Deployment Options:

• Cloud-based SaaS (preferred) or on-premises solution.

• Mobile accessibility for key features such as approval workflows and reporting.

Section 4: Implementation and Support

4.1 Implementation Plan:

Vendors must provide a detailed implementation plan, including:

• Estimated timeline for system deployment.

• Data migration strategy.

• Training and onboarding for key users.

• Change management and post-deployment support.

4.2 Ongoing Support and Maintenance:

• Availability of technical support (hours of operation, SLAs, escalation procedures).

• System updates and upgrades policy.

• User training and documentation resources.

Section 5: Proposal Requirements

5.1 Vendor Qualifications:

• Company background and relevant experience in delivering similar solutions.

• Case studies or references from clients of similar size or industry.

• Financial stability and long-term viability of the vendor.

5.2 Cost Breakdown:

• Detailed cost structure, including licensing fees, implementation costs, support and maintenance fees, and any additional charges.

• Description of any cost variances for different deployment models (cloud vs. on-premises).

Section 6: Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

1. Functionality: How well the proposed solution meets our core requirements and integration needs.

2. User Experience: Ease of use, intuitive design, and customizable features.

3. Implementation and Support: Quality and feasibility of the implementation plan, training, and ongoing support.

4. Vendor Qualifications: Experience, client references, and market presence.

5. Specialized expertise, capabilities, and technical competence as demonstrated by the proposed approach and methodology to meet the project requirements;

a. Resources available to perform the work, including any specialized services, within the specified time limits for the project;

b. Record of past performance, including price and cost data from previous projects, quality of work, ability to meet schedules, cost control, and contract administration;

c. Availability to the project locale;

d. Familiarity with the project locale;

e. Proposed project management techniques; and;

f. Ability and proven history in handling special project constraints.

Section 7: Proposal Submission Format Vendors should structure their proposals as follows:

1. Executive Summary

2. Company Overview

3. Solution Overview (including compliance with requirements)

4. Implementation Plan

5. Support and Maintenance Approach

6. Pricing Proposal

7. References and Case Studies