rfp-sos-2027-01.pdf

David M. Scanlan New Hampshire Secretary of State

State House 107 North State Street

Concord, NH 03301

Request for Proposal – 2027 - 1 Request for Proposal for a Business Services System Replacement

RFP ISSUED 07/22/2026.

LOCATION Secretary of State State House, Room 204 107 North Main Street Concord, NH 03301-4989

STATE AGENCY POINT OF

CONTACT

Name: Thomas Connolly email: thomas.connolly@sos.nh.gov Tel: (603) 271-0716

PROPOSAL DUE DATE 09/25/2026 at 4:30 P.M. EST

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

Corporations - Department of State

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Contents

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW AND SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

SECTION 2: PROPOSAL SUBMISSION, DEADLINE, AND LOCATION INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION 3: PROPOSAL ORGANIZATION, CONTENT, AND REQUIRED ITEMS

SECTION 4: EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

SECTION 5: TERMS AND CONDITIONS RELATED TO THE RFP PROCESS

SECTION 6: CONTRACT TERMS AND AWARD

APPENDIX A: BUSINESS/TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS AND DELIVERABLES

APPENDIX B: TOPICS FOR MANDATORY RESPONSES

APPENDIX C: STANDARDS FOR DESCRIBING VENDOR QUALIFICATIONS

APPENDIX D: PRICING

APPENDIX E: DOIT INFRASTRUCTURE AND SECURITY

APPENDIX F: TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

APPENDIX G: P-37 STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE GENERAL PROVISIONS AND EXHIBITS ... 54

APPENDIX H: STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE PROPOSAL TRANSMITTAL FORM LETTER

Remainder of this page intentionally left blank

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW AND SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW AND SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

1. Executive Summary

Introduction:

The Corporations Division within the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s office is responsible for maintaining a business registry and lien data for use by the public and courts. This RFP seeks a proposed solution which meets the requirements for a replacement for the current system described herein.

The requirements below assume a financial merchants services system will exist that will process transactions externally and internally into this proposed system and will be available to share historical transaction data to this system. The proposed solution will be integrated with this financial system. The financial system is not part of this RFP and will be distinct and separated from the business services system.

Project Overview/Justification:

The Corporations Division’s existing solution is antiquated and requires costly hi-touch vendor support. Additionally, the existing solution lacks extendibility for use in conjunction with other state software, requires extensive training to utilize, and lacks modern features expected by the public when interacting with a modern public office.

Goals and Objectives for a Business Services System Replacement:

The new system should be easy for the internal staff and the public to utilize and be simplified to focus on core functions of the Corporations Division. The current system handles multiple functions for the Agency; financial and transaction tasks are being factored into distinct systems to optimize each for function, accuracy, and needs of the staff.

Prohibited Technology:

No equipment or services on the State of New Hampshire's Prohibited Technologies List found here: https://www.doit.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt506/files/inline-documents/sonh/prohibited-technologies.pdf and no equipment or services on the FCC Covered List found here: https://www.fcc.gov/supplychain/coveredlist may be utilized as part of the proposed solution.

1.1. Scope of Work (SOW) Overview

This project includes developing a replacement for the business registry system. The project includes a complete effort to develop new software, inclusive of project management and client engagement, migration of old data to the new system, and ongoing maintenance of that system once stood up in production.

https://www.doit.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt506/files/inline-documents/sonh/prohibited-technologies.pdf https://www.doit.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt506/files/inline-documents/sonh/prohibited-technologies.pdf https://www.fcc.gov/supplychain/coveredlist

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW AND SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

2. Schedule of Events

The following table provides a Schedule of Events for this RFP through contract finalization and approval. The Agency reserves the right to amend this Schedule at its sole discretion and at any time through a published Addendum.

EVENT DATE & TIME (ET)

RFP Released to Vendors / Inquiry Period Begins (on or about)

July 22, 2026.

Vendor Inquiry Period Ends (Final Inquiries due)

August 5, 2026.

Final State Responses to Vendor Inquiries August 21, 2026.

Final Date and Time for Proposal Submission September 25, 2026. 4:30 P.M. EST.

Vendor Presentations/Discussion Sessions/Interviews (Mandatory or Optional)

October 15, 2026 through November 1, 2026.

Estimated Date of Vendor Selection November 13, 2026.

Anticipated Secretary Approval To be determined.

3. Letter of Intent

A Letter of Intent to submit a response to this RFP is optional. Receipt of the Letter of Intent by the State will be required to receive electronic notification of any solicitation amendments, in the event such are produced; any further materials on this project, including electronic files, any addenda, corrections, or schedule modifications; notifications regarding any informational meetings for Vendors; or any responses to comments or questions.

The Letter of Intent must be transmitted by email to the individual identified in Section 2, Vendor Inquiries. Include the name, telephone number, mailing address, and email address of the Vendor’s designated contact. Notwithstanding the Letter of Intent, Vendors remain responsible for reviewing the most updated information related to this RFP before submitting a response.

SECTION 2: PROPOSAL SUBMISSION, DEADLINE, AND LOCATION INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION 2: PROPOSAL SUBMISSION, DEADLINE, AND LOCATION INSTRUCTIONS

1. Proposal Submission

Physical Proposals and Electronic Proposals submitted in response to this RFP must be received no later than the time and date specified in the Schedule of Events herein. Physical and Electronic Proposals shall include both a Price Proposal and a Technical Proposal.

The Price Proposal must be labeled clearly and submitted separately from the Technical Proposal.

Late submissions will not be accepted. Delivery of the Proposals shall be the Vendor’s responsibility. The time of receipt shall be considered when a Proposal has been officially documented by the Agency, in accordance with its established policies, as having been received at the location or via email as designated below. The Agency accepts no responsibility for damaged, mislabeled, or undeliverable mailed or emailed Proposals.

All RFP responses must remain valid for a period of one-hundred and eighty (180) days from the Proposal Submission deadline specified in the Schedule of Events herein, or until the Effective Date of any resulting contract, whichever is later.

2. Physical Proposals

Physical Proposals must be addressed to:

State of New Hampshire Department of State c/o Thomas Connolly State House, Room 204 107 North Main Street Concord, NH 03301

Proposals must be clearly marked as follows:

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

RESPONSE TO RFP: RFP 2027 – 1 Business Services System Replacement

Physical Submissions shall include:

Package 1- Technical Proposal:

a) One (1) original and three (3) clearly identified copies of the Technical Proposal, including all required attachments.

b) One (1) copy of the Proposal Transmittal Form Letter (described in Section 3: Transmittal

Form Letter, herein) shall be signed by an official authorized to legally bind the Vendor and shall be marked “ORIGINAL.”

Package 2 – Price Proposal:

a) A separate Price Proposal must be labeled clearly and sealed separately from the Technical Proposal.

b) One (1) original and three (3) copies of the Price Proposal, including Pricing Worksheets (as described in Appendix D), must be bound separately.

SECTION 2: PROPOSAL SUBMISSION, DEADLINE, AND LOCATION INSTRUCTIONS

3. Electronic Proposals

Electronic Proposals must be addressed to:

TO: thomas.connolly@sos.nh.gov CC: christopher.bentzler@sos.nh.gov

Proposals must be clearly marked as follows:

Subject: RFP 2027 – 1 Business Services System Replacement

Electronic Submissions must be submitted using the following criteria:

• Searchable PDF Format

• Files must be less than 10MB in size.

o Exception: If files are greater than 10MB in size, the Vendor will be required to submit their Proposal in parts. It is the Vendor's responsibility to ensure a complete Proposal is submitted.

Electronic Submissions shall include:

Attachment 1: Technical Proposal:

a) The Technical Proposal, including all required attachments.

b) One (1) copy of the Proposal Transmittal Form Letter (described in Section 3.1.2:

Transmittal Form Letter, herein) shall be signed by an official authorized to legally bind the Vendor and shall be marked “ORIGINAL.”

Attachment 2: Price Proposal:

a) The Price Proposal must be labeled clearly and separately from the Technical Proposal.

b) The Price Proposal must include the Pricing Worksheets (as described in Appendix D).

4. Number of Proposals

Vendors are permitted to submit up to three (3) proposal(s) each with a unique solution in response to this RFP.

The original and all copies shall be bound separately, delivered in sealed containers, and permanently marked as indicated above. A Vendor’s disclosure or distribution of its Proposal other than to the State will be grounds for disqualification.

5. Vendor Inquiries

All inquiries concerning this RFP, including but not limited to, requests for clarifications, questions, and any changes to the RFP, shall be submitted via email to the following RFP Point of Contact:

Thomas Connolly, Corporations Director Email: thomas.connolly@sos.nh.gov

Inquiries must be received by the RFP Point of Contact no later than the conclusion of the Vendor Inquiry Period identified in the Schedule of Events. Inquiries received later than the conclusion of mailto:thomas.connolly@sos.nh.gov mailto:christopher.bentzler@sos.nh.gov

SECTION 2: PROPOSAL SUBMISSION, DEADLINE, AND LOCATION INSTRUCTIONS

the Vendor Inquiry Period shall not be considered properly submitted and may not be considered.

The State assumes no liability for assuring accurate/complete email transmission/receipt and is not required to acknowledge receipt.

The Agency intends to issue official responses to properly submitted inquiries on or before the date specified in the Schedule of Events section, herein. The Agency may consolidate and/or paraphrase questions for sufficiency and clarity. Oral statements, representations, clarifications, or modifications concerning the RFP shall not be binding upon the Agency. Official responses by the Agency will be made only in writing by the process described above. All official written responses by the Agency will be issued electronically to all vendors who have submitted inquiries, and to all vendors who have submitted a Letter of Intent.

6. Restriction of Contact with Agency Employees

From the date of release of this RFP until an award is made and announced regarding the selection of a Vendor, all communication with personnel employed by or under contract with the Agency regarding this RFP is prohibited unless first approved by the RFP Point of Contact listed herein.

Agency employees have been directed not to hold conferences and/or discussions concerning this RFP with any potential Contractor during the selection process, unless otherwise authorized by the RFP Point of Contact. Vendors may be disqualified for violating this restriction on communications.

7. Validity of Proposal

Proposals must be valid for one hundred and eighty (180) days following the deadline for submission of Proposals in the Schedule of Events, or until the Effective Date of any resulting Contract, whichever is later.

SECTION 3: PROPOSAL ORGANIZATION, CONTENT, AND REQUIRED ITEMS

SECTION 3: PROPOSAL ORGANIZATION, CONTENT, AND REQUIRED ITEMS

1. Proposal Organization

The Proposals, which include the Technical Proposal and the Price Proposal, should adhere to the following outline:

Technical Proposal:

Cover Page

Transmittal Form Letter

Table of Contents

Section I: Executive Summary

Section II: Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations

Section III: Responses to Requirements and Deliverables

Section IV: Narrative Responses

Section V: Corporate Qualifications

Section VI: Qualifications of Key Vendor staff

Section VII: Vendor Attachments

Price Proposal:

Section VIII: Price Proposal (sealed separately)

1.1. Cover Page

The first page of the Vendor’s Proposal should be a cover page containing the following text:

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

New Hampshire Secretary of State

RESPONSE TO RFP: RFP 2027 – 1 Business Services System Replacement

The cover page should also include the Vendor’s name, contact person, contact telephone number, address, city, state, zip code, fax number, and email address.

1.2. Transmittal Form Letter

The Vendor must submit a signed Transmittal Form Letter with their response using the Transmittal Form Letter template provided as Attachment #2. Any electronic alteration to the content of this Transmittal Form Letter template is prohibited. Any such changes shall result in a Proposal being rejected.

1.3. Table of Contents

The Vendor must provide a table of contents with corresponding page numbers relating to its Proposal.

SECTION 3: PROPOSAL ORGANIZATION, CONTENT, AND REQUIRED ITEMS

1.4. Section I: Executive Summary

Section I shall provide an executive summary, not to exceed two (2) pages, identifying how the Vendor satisfies the goals of this RFP. The executive summary will also provide an overview of the Vendor’s proposed Solution and Services highlighting those factors that they believe distinguish their Proposal.

1.5. Section II: Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations

Section II shall provide a glossary of all terms, acronyms, and abbreviations used in the Vendor’s Proposal.

1.6. Section III: Responses to System Requirements and Deliverables

Section III shall include the response tables from the Business/Technical Requirements and Deliverables Appendix. The Vendor must document the ability to meet the Business Requirements, Technical Requirements and Deliverables of this RFP.

1.7. Section IV: Narrative Responses

Section IV solicits narrative responses describing the Software, Technical, Services and Project Management topics defined for this RFP Project. The Topics for Mandatory Responses Appendix is organized into sections, which correspond to the different aspects of the scoring process of the Proposal. Discussion of each topic must begin on a new page.

1.8. Section V: Corporate Qualifications

Section V shall provide the corporate qualifications of the Vendor, and any Subcontractors proposed to participate in the Project. Specific information to be provided is described in the Standards for Describing Vendor Qualifications Appendix.

1.9. Section VI: Qualifications of Key Vendor Staff

Section VI shall be used to provide required information on the Vendor’s Key Project Staff. Specific information to be provided is described in the Standards for Describing Vendor Qualifications Appendix.

1.10. Section VII: Vendor Attachments

Section VII provides for extra materials as referenced in the Topic for Mandatory responses Appendix such as Product Literature, Ad Hoc/Federal Reporting, Interface Standards, Testing (For UAT Plan) and Status Meetings and Reports.

1.11. Section VIII: Price Proposal (sealed separately)

Section VIII shall include the Price Proposal, which must describe the proposed price of the Vendor Proposal based on and reflected by the inclusion of the completed tables listed in the Pricing Appendix. As outlined in Section 2: Proposal Submission, Deadline, and Location Instructions, this price proposal must be labeled clearly and sealed separately from the Technical Proposal.

SECTION 4: EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

SECTION 4: EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

1. Criteria for Evaluation and Scoring

Each responsive Proposal will be evaluated and considered with regard to the Solution and Services proposed, qualifications of the Vendor and any Subcontractors, experience and qualifications of proposed candidates, and price.

If the Agency determines to make an award, the Agency will begin negotiations with a Vendor based on these evaluations. Should the Agency be unable to reach agreement with the high scoring Vendor during Contract discussions, the Agency may then undertake Contract discussions with the next high scoring Vendor and so on; or the Agency may reject all Proposals, cancel this RFP, or solicit new Proposals under a new acquisition process.

The Agency will use a scoring scale of five hundred (500) points. Points will be distributed as set forth in the table below.

Table 4.1: Scoring of Proposal

CATEGORIES MAXIMUM POINTS

Proposed Solution 150 Vendor’s Technical, Service and Project Management Experience 150

Vendor Company 50 Staffing Qualifications 50 Price Proposal 100

TOTAL POTENTIAL MAXIMUM POINTS AWARDED 500

The Agency will select a Vendor based upon the criteria and standards contained in this RFP and from applying the weighting in this section. Oral interviews and reference checks, to the extent they are utilized by the Agency, will be used to refine and finalize technical scores.

2. Scoring Detail

2.1. Scoring of the Proposed Solution

The Vendor’s Proposed Solution will be allocated a maximum score of 150 Points. The main purpose of this section is to measure how well the Solution meets the business needs of the Agency.

Scoring is primarily measured using vendor responses in the following sections:

a) Proposal Section III: Responses to Requirements and Deliverables

b) Proposal Section IV: Narrative Responses

c) Vendor Presentation and Demonstration (if applicable)

SECTION 4: EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

2.2. Scoring of Vendor Technical, Service, and Project Management Experience

Vendor proposed Technical, Service, and Project Management Experience will be allocated a maximum score of 150 Points. In this section, the State will score the technical merits of how the Vendor will carry out the Implementation and maintenance of the Solution. Technical details of the System including security and protection of data, proposed training administrative procedures, and how the Vendor manages its team and the Project will be critical. Compatibility of the Vendor’s procedures and technologies with the State generally will contribute to an assessment of risk both in the short and long term.

Scoring is primarily measured using vendor responses in the following sections:

a) Proposal Section III: Responses to Requirements and Deliverables

b) Proposal Section IV: Narrative Responses

c) Proposed Work Plan

d) References

2.3. Scoring of Vendor Company

Vendor Company qualifications will be allocated a maximum score of 50 points. It must be established that the Vendor Company is capable of carrying out the Project through Implementation, the Warranty Period and the maintenance period.

Scoring is primarily measured using vendor responses in the following sections:

a) Proposal Section V: Corporate Qualifications

b) References

2.4. Scoring of Vendor Staffing Qualifications

Vendor’s Staff qualifications will be allocated a maximum score of 50 points. Vendor’s Staff must have the training and experience to support the Vendor’s plans to implement and support the System.

Scoring is primarily measured using vendor responses in the following sections:

a) Proposal Section VI: Qualifications of Key Staff

b) Vendor Presentations & Demonstrations (if applicable)

c) References

2.5. Scoring the Price

The Vendor’s price will be allocated a maximum score of 100 points. The State will only consider Pricing provided in Appendix D - Pricing Tables E-1.1 through E-1.7 The price information required in a Proposal is intended to provide a sound basis for comparing price.

The Vendor’s Price Score formula described in the Price Proposal Review and Scoring section will be utilized for this scoring portion.

3. Planned Evaluations

The Agency plans to use the following process:

SECTION 4: EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

a) Initial screening to ensure that the Proposals are in compliance with submission requirements.

b) Preliminary evaluation of the Proposals.

c) Oral interviews and Product Demonstrations (if applicable).

d) Final Evaluation of Technical Proposals and scoring.

e) Review of Price Proposals and scoring.

f) Select the highest scoring Vendor and begin contract negotiation.

Regardless of the above-stated planned process, the Agency has the right to reject any and all responses.

3.1. Initial Screening

The Agency will conduct an initial screening step to verify Vendor compliance with the submission requirements set forth in the RFP and the minimum content set forth in the Proposal Format, Content and Required Items within this RFP. The Agency may waive or offer a limited opportunity to cure immaterial deviations from the RFP requirements if it is determined to be in the best interest of the State. A Proposal that fails to satisfy either submission requirements or minimum standards may be rejected without further consideration.

3.2. Preliminary Technical Scoring of Proposals

The Agency will establish an evaluation team. This evaluation team will review the Technical Proposals and give a preliminary score.

3.3. Oral Interviews and Product Demonstrations (if applicable)

At the Agency’s discretion, Vendors may be invited to oral interviews and/or product demonstrations including demonstrations of any proposed automated systems or technology components. The Agency retains the sole discretion to determine whether to conduct oral interviews and product demonstrations, with which Vendors, the number of interviews and the length of time provided for the interview and Product demonstration. The Agency may decide to conduct oral interviews and product demonstrations with less than all responsive Vendors.

The purpose of oral interviews and product demonstrations is to clarify and expound upon information provided in the written Proposals. Vendors are prohibited from altering the basic substance of their Proposals during the oral interviews and product demonstrations. The Agency may ask the Vendor to provide written clarifications of elements in their Technical Proposal regardless of whether it intends to conduct oral interviews.

Information gained from oral interviews and product demonstrations will be used to refine technical review scores assigned from the initial review of the Proposals. All costs associated with oral presentations/interviews shall be borne entirely by the Vendor.

3.4. Final Scoring of Technical Proposals

Following Oral Interviews, Product Demonstrations, Reference Checks (if appropriate) and/or review of written clarifications of Proposals requested by the Agency, the evaluation team will determine a final score for each Technical Proposal.

SECTION 4: EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

3.5. Price Proposal Review and Scoring

Price Proposals will be reviewed upon completion of the final scoring of Technical Proposals.

The Vendor’s Price Proposal will be allocated a maximum potential score of one-hundred (100) points. Vendors are advised that this is not a low bid award; the scoring of the Price Proposal will be combined with the scoring of the Technical Proposal to determine the overall highest scoring Vendor.

The following formula will be used to assign points for Price:

Vendor’s Price Score = (Lowest Proposed Price / Vendor’s Proposed Price) x Maximum Number of Points for Price Proposal.

4. No Best and Final Offer

The Proposal should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms that the Vendor can offer. There will be no best and final offer procedure. The Vendor should be prepared to accept this RFP for incorporation into a contract resulting from this RFP. Contract negotiations may incorporate some or the entire Proposal.

5. Rights of the Agency in Accepting and Evaluating Proposals

The Agency reserves the right to:

a) Make independent investigations in evaluating Proposals.

b) Request additional information to clarify elements of a Proposal.

c) Waive minor or immaterial deviations from the RFP requirements, if determined to be in the best interest of the State.

d) Omit any planned evaluation step if, in the Agency’s view, the step is not needed.

e) At its sole discretion, reject any and all Proposals at any time.

f) Open contract discussions with the second highest scoring Vendor and so on, if the Agency is unable to reach an agreement on Contract terms with the higher scoring Vendor(s).

SECTION 5 – TERMS AND CONDITIONS RELATED TO THE RFP PROCESS

SECTION 5: TERMS AND CONDITIONS RELATED TO THE RFP PROCESS

1. RFP Addendum

The Agency reserves the right to amend this RFP at its discretion, prior to the Proposal submission deadline. In the event of an addendum to this RFP, the Agency, at its sole discretion, may extend the Proposal submission deadline, as it deems appropriate.

2. Non-Collusion

The Vendor’s signature on a Proposal submitted in response to this RFP guarantees that the prices, terms and conditions, and work quoted have been established without collusion with other Vendors and without effort to preclude the Agency from obtaining the best possible competitive Proposal.

3. Property of the State

All material received in response to this RFP shall become the property of the State and will not be returned to the Vendor. Upon Contract award, the State reserves the right to use any information presented in any Proposal, provided that its use does not violate any copyrights or other provisions of law.

4. Confidentiality of a Proposal

The substance of a Proposal must remain confidential until the Effective Date of any Contract resulting from this RFP. A Vendor’s disclosure or distribution of Proposals other than to the Agency without the Agency’s prior consent may be grounds for disqualification.

5. Public Disclosure

In general, the State is obligated to make public the information submitted in response to this RFP (including all materials submitted in connection with it, such as attachments, exhibits, addenda, and presentations), any resulting contract, and information provided during the contractual relationship. The Right-to-Know law (RSA 91-A) obligates the State to conduct an independent analysis of the confidentiality of the information submitted, regardless of whether it is marked confidential.

5.1. Disclosure of Information Submitted in Response to RFP

Information submitted in response to this RFP is subject to public disclosure under the Right-to-Know law after the award of a contract. Immediately following the closing date for Proposals, the State will post the number of responses received with no further information.

Notwithstanding the Right-to-Know law, no information concerning the contracting process, including, but not limited to information related to proposals, communications between the parties or contract negotiations, shall be available until a contract has been actually awarded.

This means unsuccessful Vendors shall not be notified of the outcome until that time.

Confidential, commercial, or financial information may be exempt from public disclosure under RSA 91-A:5, IV. If a Vendor believes any information submitted in response to this request for proposals should be kept confidential, the Vendor must specifically identify that information where it appears in the submission in a manner that draws attention to the designation and must mark/stamp each page of the materials that the Vendor claims must be exempt from disclosure as “CONFIDENTIAL.” Vendors must also provide a letter to the person listed as the point of contact for this RFP, identifying the specific page number and section of the information you consider to be confidential, commercial or financial and providing your rationale for each designation. Marking or designating an entire proposal, attachment or section as confidential shall neither be accepted nor honored by the State. Vendors must also provide a separate copy of the full and complete document, fully redacting those portions and shall note on the applicable page or pages that the redacted portion or portions are “confidential.”

Submissions which do not conform to these instructions by failing to include a redacted copy (if necessary), by failing to include a letter specifying the rationale for each redaction, by failing to designate the redactions in the manner required by these instructions, or by including redactions which are contrary to these instructions or operative law may be rejected by the State as not conforming to the requirements of the proposal.

Pricing, which includes, but is not limited to, the administrative costs and other performance guarantees in Proposals or any subsequently awarded contract, shall be subject to public disclosure regardless of whether it is marked as confidential.

Notwithstanding a Vendor’s designations, the State is obligated under the Right-to-Know law to conduct an independent analysis of the confidentiality of the information submitted in a proposal. If a request is made to the State by any person or entity to view or receive copies of any portion of the proposal, the State shall first assess what information it is obligated to release. The State will then notify you that a request has been made, indicate what, if any, information the State has assessed is confidential and will not be released, and specify the planned release date of the remaining portions of the proposal. To halt the release of information by the State, a Vendor must initiate and provide to the State, prior to the date specified in the notice, a court action in the Superior Court of the State of New Hampshire, at its sole expense, seeking to enjoin the release of the requested information.

By submitting a proposal, Vendors acknowledge and agree that:

The State may disclose any and all portions of the proposal or related materials that are not marked as confidential and/or which have not been specifically explained in the letter to the person identified as the point of contact for this RFP;

The State is not obligated to comply with a vendor’s designations regarding confidentiality and must conduct an independent analysis to assess the confidentiality of the information submitted in your proposal; and

The State may, unless otherwise prohibited by court order, release the information on the date specified in the notice described above without any liability to a Vendor.

5.2. Electronic Posting of Resulting Contract

RSA 91-A obligates disclosure of contracts resulting from responses to RFPs. By submitting a Proposal, Vendors acknowledge and agree that, in accordance with the above-mentioned statutes and policies, (and regardless of whether any specific request is made to view any document relating to this RFP), any contract resulting from this RFP may be made accessible to the public online via the State’s website.

At the time of receipt of responses, the State will post the number of responses received with no further information.

6. Non-Commitment

Notwithstanding any other provision of this RFP, this RFP does not commit the Agency to award a Contract. The Agency reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to reject any and all Proposals, or any portions thereof, at any time; to cancel this RFP; and to solicit new Proposals under a new acquisition process.

7. Proposal Preparation Cost

By submitting a Proposal, a Vendor agrees that in no event shall the Agency be either responsible for or held liable for any costs incurred by a Vendor in the preparation of or in connection with the Proposal, or for work performed prior to the Effective Date of a resulting Contract.

8. Ethical Requirements

From the time this RFP is published until a contract is awarded, no vendor shall offer or give, directly or indirectly, any gift, expense reimbursement, or honorarium, as defined by RSA 15-B, to any elected official, public official, public employee, constitutional official, or family member of any such official or employee who will or has selected, evaluated, or awarded an RFP, or similar submission. Any vendor that violates RSA 21-G:38 shall be subject to prosecution for an offense under RSA 640:2. Any vendor who has been convicted of an offense based on conduct in violation of this section, which has not been annulled, or who is subject to a pending criminal charge for such an offense, shall be disqualified from applying to the RFP, or similar request for submission and every such vendor shall be disqualified from applying to on any RFP or similar request for submission issued by any State agency. A vendor that was disqualified under this section because of a pending criminal charge which is subsequently dismissed, results in an acquittal, or is annulled, may notify the Department of Administrative Services (DAS), which shall note that information on the list maintained on the State’s internal intranet system, except in the case of annulment, the information, shall be deleted from the list.

9. Debarment

Vendors who are ineligible to apply to proposals, bids or quotes issued by the NH Department of State or the NH Department of Administrative Services, Division of Procurement and Support Services pursuant to the provisions of RSA 21-I:11-c shall not be considered eligible for an award under this proposal.

10. Protest of Intended Award

Any challenge of an award made or otherwise related to this RFP shall be governed by RSA 21- G:37, and the procedures and terms of this RFP. The procedure set forth in RSA 21-G:37, IV, shall be the sole remedy available to challenge any award resulting from this RFP. In the event that any legal action is brough challenging this solicitation and selection process, outside of the review process identified in RSA 21-G:37, IV, and in the event that the State of New Hampshire prevails, the challenger agrees to pay all expenses of such action, including attorney’s fees and costs at all stages of litigation.

SECTION 6 – CONTRACT TERMS AND AWARD

SECTION 6: CONTRACT TERMS AND AWARD

1. Non-Exclusive Contract

Any resulting Contract from this RFP will be a Non-Exclusive Contract. The Secretary of State reserves the right, at its discretion, to retain other contractors to provide any of the Services or Deliverables identified under this procurement or make an award by item, part or portion of an item, group of items, or total Proposal.

2. Anticipated Contract Term

The Vendor shall be fully prepared to commence work after full execution of the Contract by the parties, and the receipt of required governmental approvals (“Effective Date”).

The initial Contract Term will begin on the Effective Date and continue through a date mutually agreed upon between parties. The Contract Term may be extended at the sole option of the State, subject to each party’s prior written agreement on terms and applicable fees for each extended Contract Term, and contingent upon satisfactory vendor performance and continued funding.

3. Standard Contract Terms

The Agency will require the successful vendor to execute a Not to Exceed Contract. The P-37 State of New Hampshire General Provisions and Exhibits, identified in Appendix G will form the basis of any Contract resulting from this RFP.

To the extent that a Vendor believes that exceptions to the standard form Contract will be necessary for the Vendor to enter into the Agreement, the Vendor should note those issues during the Vendor Inquiry Period. The Agency will review requested exceptions and accept, reject or note that it is open to negotiation of the proposed exception at its sole discretion. If the Agency accepts a Vendor’s exception the Agency will, at the conclusion of the inquiry period, provide notice to all potential Vendors of the exceptions which have been accepted and indicate that exception is available to all potential Vendors. Any exceptions to the standard form contract that are not raised during the Vendor inquiry period are waived. In no event is a Vendor to submit its own standard contract terms and conditions as a replacement for the State’s terms in response to this solicitation.

3.1 Contract Negotiations and Unsuccessful Vendor Notice

If a Vendor is selected, the State will notify the selected Vendor in writing of their selection and the State’s desire to enter into contract discussions. Until the State successfully completes discussions with the selected Vendor, all submitted Proposals remain eligible for selection by the State. In the event contract discussions are unsuccessful with the selected Vendor, the evaluation team may recommend another Vendor.

3.2 Subcontractors

The Vendor shall remain wholly responsible for performance of the entire Contract regardless of whether a Subcontractor is used. The State will consider the Vendor to be the sole point of contact regarding all contractual matters, including payment of any and all charges resulting from any Contract.

SECTION 6 – CONTRACT TERMS AND AWARD

4. Related Documents Required

The selected Vendor will be required to submit the following documents prior to Contract approval:

a) Certificate of Good Standing obtained by the Secretary of State of New Hampshire.

b) Certificate of Authority/Vote - The Certificate of Authority/Vote authorizes, by position, a representative(s) of your corporation to enter into an Agreement or amendment with the State of New Hampshire.

c) Certificate of Insurance - Certificate of Insurance evidencing coverage as required under the Contract.

d) Workers’ Compensation coverage must comply with State of NH RSA 281-A.

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APPENDIX A: BUSINESS/TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS AND DELIVERABLES

1. Statement of Work

The system will exist for the use of the public to file corporate documents and liens, as well as other legal records. Filing may be performed online via web interface or in person at terminals within the Secretary’s Corporations Division office. It will calculate fees due and pass that information to a financial merchant service which will complete transactions. Electronic records of successful transactions will be accepted back into the system in order to provide the public with receipts and mark documents as in good order. The system will also allow users to perform simple searches of existing documents for free, while charging for more complicated reporting options. The system will also allow some submissions via XML protocol.

The system will have at least the following functions:

• At least one web interface for the public to submit documents and a back-office data entry portal for submission management. Fees will be charged, and individual transaction detail data will have to be passed on to an external financial management application using an existing REST API.

• The project also includes an entry portal for XML lien documents.

• The ability for users and the public to obtain reports.

• The ability for back-office users to create new document “types”, as well as edit the fees of existing types.

• The Generation and editing of mailings at set intervals to impacted user populations.

The New Hampshire Secretary of State will host and operate any developed software on premises; the vendor will release enhancements and any software patches to New Hampshire staff with instructions as to deployment and will assist in deployment if requested throughout the duration of the contract.

Under the contract resulting from this RFP the vendor shall grant to the Secretary of State and the Secretary of State shall accept a nonexclusive, worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free license to use the Software and Documentation required by the contract resulting from this RFP and to create Derivative Works thereof, for use by the Secretary of State, including but not limited to modifying, updating, adapting, enhancing, and improving the Business Services System Replacement.

2. Business and Technical Requirements

Please utilize the following instructions to complete the document referenced under 2.1 Business Requirements and 2.2 Technical Requirements and submit with your Proposal in Section III:

Responses to System Requirements and Deliverables.

Criticality Column:

(M) Indicates a requirement that is "Mandatory." The State considers it to be of such great importance that it must be met for the Proposal to be accepted. If the proposer believes that there is something about their Proposal that either obviates the need for this requirement or makes it of less importance this must be explained within the comments. The State retains the right to accept a Proposal if the need of the requirement is reduced or eliminated by another feature of the Proposal.

(P) Indicates a requirement which is "Preferred." This requirement is considered by the State to be of great usefulness, but the lack of this feature is not considered serious enough to disqualify the Proposal.

(O) Indicates a requirement which is "Optional." This requirement is considered by the State to be one which is useful or potentially useful but not a central feature of the Project.

Vendor Response Column:

Enter “Yes” if the Solution can fully support ALL the functionality described in the row, without special customization. “Yes” can only be used if the delivery method is Standard (see delivery method instructions below).

Otherwise, enter "No"; "No" can only be used with delivery method Future, Custom, or Not Available/Not Proposing (see delivery method instructions below).

Vendor Delivery Method Column:

Complete the delivery method using Standard, Future, Custom, or Not Available/Not Proposing (as defined below) that indicates how the requirement will be delivered.

Standard – Feature/Function is included in the proposed Solution and available in the current Solution release.

Future – Feature/Function will be available in a future release. (Provide anticipated delivery date, version, and service release in the comment area.)

Custom – Feature/Function can be provided with custom modifications. (Respondent must provide estimated hours and average billing rate or flat cost for the modification in the comment area.

These cost estimates should add up to the total cost for modifications found in the cost summary table in Section E of the RFP).

Not Available/Not Proposing – Feature/Function has not been proposed by the Vendor. (Provide brief description of why this functionality was not proposed.)

Vendor Comments Column:

For all Delivery Method responses, vendors must provide a brief explanation of how the requirement will be met. Free form text can be entered into this column.

2.1. Business Requirements

Please see associated document “Requirements Business Services Replacement.xlsx.”

2.2. Technical Requirements

Table B-2.2.1 Prohibited Technologies

Req # State Requirement Description Criticality Vendor Response

Vendor Delivery Method

Vendor Comments

PT1

No equipment or services on the State of New Hampshire's Prohibited Technologies List found here:

https://www.doit.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbem t506/files/inline-documents/sonh/prohibited-technologies.pdf and No equipment or services on the FCC Covered List found here:

https://www.fcc.gov/supplychain/coveredlis t

M

Table B-2.2.2 Security Compliance Requirements

Req # State Requirement Description Criticality Vendor Response

Vendor Delivery Method

Vendor Comments

T1.1

Comply with controls required by NIST Special Publication 800-171 R2, Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Systems and Organizations to achieve the Baseline:

https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/171/r3/fin al

M

T1.2

Comply With Moderate level controls as defined by NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5, Security and Privacy Controls for Information Systems and Organizations - BaseLine Plus:

https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/53/r5/upd 1/final

P

Table B-2.2.3 StateRAMP Authorization

Response

Vendor Delivery Method

Vendor Comments

T2.1 StateRAMP Ready/Authorized Certification:

https://govramp.org/ P

T2.2 If StateRAMP Ready, you agree to attain StateRAMP Authorized within 12 months of the effective date of a resulting contract.

M https://www.doit.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt506/files/media/media_document/2025-10-foreign-adversaries-technologies.pdf https://www.doit.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt506/files/media/media_document/2025-10-foreign-adversaries-technologies.pdf https://www.doit.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt506/files/media/media_document/2025-10-foreign-adversaries-technologies.pdf https://www.doit.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt506/files/media/media_document/2025-10-foreign-adversaries-technologies.pdf https://www.fcc.gov/supplychain/coveredlist https://www.fcc.gov/supplychain/coveredlist https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/171/r3/final https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/171/r3/final https://govramp.org/

T2.3 If StateRAMP Active, you agree to attain StateRAMP Authorized within 24 months of the effective date of a resulting contract.

M

T2.4 If StateRAMP in Process, you agree to attain StateRAMP Authorized within 24 months of the effective date of a resulting contract.

M

T2.5

If StateRAMP Pending (Under review with StateRAMP PMO awaiting a determination for a verified status), you agree to attain StateRAMP Authorized within 24 months of the effective date of a resulting contract or prior to contract renewal.

M

T2.6

If not StateRAMP Progressing, not StateRAMP Ready, or not StateRAMP Authorized the vendor shall initiate and provide a StateRAMP Security Snapshot with their response. You agree to attain StateRAMP Authorized within 24 months of the effective date of a resulting contract.

M

T2.7

Continuous Monitoring – For any resulting award(s) and subsequent contract(s), the awarded contractor(s) will grant access to continuous monitoring and reporting upon receiving award for StateRAMP Security Snapshot, Ready status and Authorization status through the life of the contract. The State reserves the right to request and review all Third-Party Assessment Organization (3PAO) audits, risk assessments, vulnerability assessments, and penetration tests of the contractor's environment. The contractor shall respond to all flaws discovered by providing a mutually agreed upon timeframe to resolve the issue and/or implement a compensating control.

Table B-2.2.4 Other Certifications in Lieu of StateRAMP

Response

Vendor Delivery Method

Vendor Comments

T3.1 FedRAMP Authorized:

https://www.fedramp.gov P

T3.2 HITRUST (HITRUST is common for Health Care related products and services.):

https://hitrustalliance.net

P https://www.fedramp.gov/ https://hitrustalliance.net/

Table B-2.2.5 Hosted Platform

Response

Vendor Delivery Method

Vendor Comments

T4.1

The following Hosting Platforms are FedRAMP/StateRAMP Authorized and are pre-approved to host any SaaS or other Software Product. If your platform is included in the list below identify the platform in the Vendor Comments.

• AWS US East/West

• AWS GOVCLOUD

• AZURE Commercial Cloud

• AZURE Government (Includes Dynamics

365)

• GOOGLE Services (Cloud Platform

Products and Underlying Infrastructure)

• ORACLE Government Cloud – Common

Controls

• ORACLE Federal Managed Cloud

Services

P

T4.2

The solution will necessarily be hosted by the Secretary of State’s office, whether located on premises or on distributed cloud networks. Internal IT Staff will maintain the solution and need documents and materials to manage day-to-day software issues and larger patches.

T4.3 The system will allow ease of integration. M

Table B-2.2.6 Individual Agency Compliance Requirements (examples listed below)

Response

Vendor Delivery Method

Vendor Comments

T5.1 FTI Pub 1075: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1075.pdf M

T5.2

Model Administrative Rules (MARS) from the International Association of Commercial Administrators:

https://www.iaca.org/wpcontent/uploads/pu blic/MARS-May-2018.pdf

Table B-2.2.7 Information Technology Accessibility Compliance https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1075.pdf https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1075.pdf https://www.iaca.org/wpcontent/uploads/public/MARS-May-2018.pdf https://www.iaca.org/wpcontent/uploads/public/MARS-May-2018.pdf

Response

Vendor Delivery Method

Vendor Comments

T6.1 Web content and mobile applications must comply with WCAG 2.1, Level AA:

https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/

M

T6.2

Hardware that transmits information or has a user interface, such as display screens, variable message signs, and kiosks, must comply with ICT Accessibility Standards and Guidelines, Chapter 4: Hardware:

https://www.access-board.gov/ict/

M

T6.3

Vendor shall complete the VPAT 2.5 WCAG (November 2023) [https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.as px?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.itic.org%2Fd otAsset%2F9893d84b-efc7-460a-97ed- 851477def5c4.docx&wdOrigin=BROWSELIN K] and submit with their proposal in Section III: Responses to Requirements and Deliverables:

https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpa t

2.3. Service Level Agreement (SLA)

Vendor agrees to the following Service Level Requirements

3. Activity, Deliverable, or Milestone

Vendor shall be responsible for meeting the Deliverables, Activities and/or Milestones identified in Table B-3: Deliverables.

Table B-3: DELIVERABLES

PLANNING AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT

1 Conduct Project Kickoff Meeting Non-Software 2 Work Plan Written 3 Project Status Reports Written

4 Infrastructure Plan, including Desktop and Network Configuration Requirements Written

5 Security Plan Written 6 Communications and Change Management Plan Written 7 Software Configuration Plan Written 8 Systems Interface Plan and Design/Capability Written 9 Testing Plan Written 10 Data Conversion Plan and Design Written https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/ https://www.access-board.gov/ict/ https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.itic.org%2FdotAsset%2F9893d84b-efc7-460a-97ed-851477def5c4.docx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.itic.org%2FdotAsset%2F9893d84b-efc7-460a-97ed-851477def5c4.docx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.itic.org%2FdotAsset%2F9893d84b-efc7-460a-97ed-851477def5c4.docx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.itic.org%2FdotAsset%2F9893d84b-efc7-460a-97ed-851477def5c4.docx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK…