RFP VCCS-WIDE-26-116690_Commencement Ceremony Software.pdf

Request for Proposals

Issue Date: March 26, 2026

RFP Number: VCCS-WIDE-26-116690

Title: Commencement Ceremony Management Software System Commodity Code: 20429 - Data/File Security Hardware/Software, to Include Encryption

92039 - Processing System Services, Data 95816 - Business Management Services 95822 - Records Management Services (Including Document Management

Services with also includes Technology Integration) 95836 - Exhibition/Exposition Management Services-- 95868 - Support Services, Management 96156 - Program/Project Development and Management Services

Issuing Agency:

Commonwealth of Virginia Virginia Community College System – Shared Services Center 147 Daleville Centre Drive Daleville, Virginia 24083

Contract Term: Ten (10) years with an initial one (1) year term and three (3) three-year renewals, at VCCS’s sole option, or as negotiated.

Proposals will be Received Until: May 11, 2026, at 2:30 PM local time.

All Proposals must be received in eVA by the date and time stated immediately above. Any Proposals received after the stated time and date will not be considered. In lieu of a Pre-Proposal Conference, questions will be accepted by e-mail to Pamela Huffman through April 6, 2026 at 5:00 pm EST.

Any inquiries regarding this solicitation should be directed only to:

Pamela Huffman, Sr Contract Officer – IT Procurement

Email: phuffman@ssc.vccs.edu Phone: (540) 591-4080

All inquiries must be made in writing and must be submitted electronically as indicated in the RFP. No oral inquiries will be accepted. From the date of issuance of this RFP, until the selection of the Supplier(s) is announced, all questions concerning any part of this RFP shall be directed ONLY to Pamela Huffman (phuffman@ssc.vccs.edu). It is not permissible for an Offeror, or any entity working on behalf of an Offeror, to solicit information from any individual or government source (Federal or State) other than from the official point of contact listed above. Any unauthorized solicitations for information are grounds for disqualification of Offeror’s proposal.

In compliance with this Request for Proposals (RFP) and to all the conditions imposed therein and hereby incorporated by reference, the undersigned offers and agrees to furnish the goods and services in accordance with the attached submitted proposal or as mutually agreed upon by subsequent negotiation.

Legal Name of Firm: Date:

Address of Firm:

By:

eVA Vendor ID Number: Name:

DSBSD Certification Number: Title:

Phone: Email:

Note: This public body does not discriminate against faith-based organizations in accordance with the Code of Virginia, § 2.2-4343.1 or against a bidder or offeror because of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, veteran status, status as a military family or any other basis prohibited by state law relating to discrimination in employment. (APSPM, PIM 98-045)

Request for Proposals # VCCS-WIDE-26-116690 - Virginia Community College System

Table of Contents

Section Description Page Number

Cover Page ** 1

I Purpose 3

II Background 3

III Statement of Needs 4

IV Compliance 8

V Proposal Administration and Instructions 9

VI Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions 11

VII Evaluation and Award Criteria 15

VIII General Terms and Conditions 16

IX Special Terms and Conditions 28

X IT Terms and Conditions 33

XI Method of Payment 41

XII Pricing Schedule 41

XIII Ordering Procedures 42

XIV Attachments 42

Complete and Return with Proposal:

- Attachment 1 – Vendor Data Sheet ** 43

- Attachment 2 – State Corporation Commission Form ** 44

- Attachment 3 – Proprietary and Confidential Information Form ** 45

- Attachment 4 – Small Business Subcontracting Plan ** 46

- Attachment 5 – Disclosure of AI Use in Proposal Development** 48

- Attachment 6 – Pricing Schedule** 49

- Attachment 7 – Information Security Requirements 50

- Exhibit 1 – Supplier Performance Measures 68

- Exhibit 2 – Table of Service Levels, Response and Resolutions Times and Escalation Procedures for Licensed Services **

** These items must be completed and returned as part of the RFP submission package.

I. PURPOSE

The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to solicit sealed proposals from qualified offerors to establish one contract through competitive negotiation for a comprehensive Commencement Management software system. VCCS invites any qualified offeror to respond to this RFP by submitting a proposal for such work, services, and/or items consistent with the terms and conditions set forth herein.

This procurement is being conducted on behalf of the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). The VCCS consists of twenty-three (23) colleges with forty (40) campuses located across the state, as well as two (2) central agencies: the System Office and the Shared Services Center. Each of these VCCS entities may use any awarded contract at their option. However, they are under no obligation to do so, and there is no guarantee that any awarded supplier shall receive a request for product or services from any of the twenty-three (23) colleges, the System Office or the Shared Services Center.

II. BACKGROUND

The Virginia Community College System (VCCS) consists of twenty-three (23) community colleges across the Commonwealth of Virginia, the System Office, and the Shared Services Center. Student populations range in size from 1,000 students to 80,000 students per college. Virginia’s Community Colleges serve an estimated 225,000 students per year total.

The commencement registration and ticketing process is currently highly manual, requiring significant staff intervention for data entry, student communication, ticket distribution, and accommodation management.

This manual approach becomes increasingly difficult to manage with large graduation classes, resulting in challenges maintaining accuracy, timeliness, and consistent communication.

A modern, cloud-based system will allow for streamlining all aspects of graduate registration, ticket distribution, accommodation requests, name pronunciation, support and event-day operation, the planning, coordination, and execution of graduation/commencement ceremonies. Ultimately enhancing and ensuring an accurate, efficient, professional, and memorable commencement experience for students, guests, faculty, and staff.

The system should ensure full student engagement and operational efficiency for the commencement ceremony. The Target Audience(s) for this system: Primary, the graduating students (100-10,000 potential participants annually). VCCS needs a user-friendly, ADA-accessible platform to register, update personal and academic details, request tickets, indicate ADA accommodations, upload pronunciation, and receive confirmations and event updates Secondary, commencement staff, faculty and volunteers supporting the event operations. This user group requires timely access to accurate participant data, ticket allocations, seating arrangement, graduate check-in status, and the ability to make on-the-spot adjustments. This user group requires the ability to print and reprint reader cards, manage accommodations, and communicate with the graduates efficiently Tertiary, guests of graduates, including those requiring ADA accommodation and special seating. The vendor solution shall provide an intuitive ticketing process (including ticket sharing/return options) with the ability to indicate accommodation requirements, and clear communication regarding venue access, seating arrangements, and ceremony details.

III. STATEMENT OF NEEDS

The Successful Offeror shall furnish all services including, but not limited to, providing the necessary labor, materials, supervision, equipment, services, incidentals, and related items necessary to provide an integrated platform that supports the full lifecycle of commencement activities and meets the following requirements (including but not limited to):

A. FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

1) Student Data Management:

a) System must integrate with existing Student Information Systems (SIS) for automated data transfer of graduation candidates.

b) Ability to track student progress toward graduation requirements and eligibility for commencement participation.

c) Management of student personal information, contact details, preferred name/pronouns, and guest details for attendees.

d) Ability for students to update their name as they wish it to appear on the reader card and screen, including automatic capitalization of names entered in lowercase.

e) Capture and display degrees, honors, and multiple degrees on screen as graduates cross the stage.

f) Ability to capture and store ADA accommodation requests for both graduates and their guests.

2) Application and Registration:

a) Provide online application portal for students to apply for graduation and register for the ceremony.

b) Support for multiple graduation terms and ceremony dates.

c) RSVP Management allowing students to update their attendance preferences in one centralized platform.

d) Customizable registration forms to collect necessary information (e.g., guest count, special accommodation, ADA needs).

e) Confirmation email sent to students upon completion of registration.

f) Option for students to receive text message updates and reminders.

g) Ability to make real-time updates to graduate lists (adding/removing graduates, especially for pronunciation changes).

3) Ticketing and Guest Management:

a) Event ticketing system for students to reserve or receive guest tickets in advance.

b) Ability to create multiple ticket types and unique ticketing for the same ceremony (e.g.: main venue; alternate viewing site; VIP seating - having a different allotment of tickets; changes to ticketing allotments-for example, if nearing capacity allowing for reducing ticketing allotment for late ticket claimers/responders)

c) Ability to set limits on guest attendance and manage ticket allocations.

d) Integration with QR codes or other scannable tickets for efficient entry management.

e) Secure, customizable electronic tickets that can include school branding and event-specific information.

f) Support for special guest ticketing and open-seating venues (general admission).

g) Ticket sharing, swapping, and return functionality, with ability to make additional requests.

h) System-generated confirmations for ticket transactions.

4) Ceremony Logistics and Planning:

a) Features for scheduling ceremony events, speakers, and rehearsal times.

b) Tools to manage academic regalia orders and distribution.

c) Support for seating arrangements and name announcement processing.

d) Pronunciation and announcement support, including the ability to store and review recordings by professional announcers.

e) Ability to allocate seats for various groups (faculty, special guests, ADA seating).

f) Integration with photography vendor for image capture coordination.

g) Ability to print reader cards in real time (including replacements if lost or destroyed), with customizable design.

h) Capability to manage and track real-time graduate check-ins.

i) Ability to digitally manage student information vs. physical name cards, creating a more efficient and organized ceremony.

5) Communication and Reporting:

a) Automated communication tools for sending announcements, reminders, and important updates to graduates and guests (email and text).

b) Robust reporting capabilities for data analysis, attendance tracking, ticket usage, and demographic information.

c) Ability to generate both visual reports and exports in Excel or Microsoft Office formats.

d) Access to running totals of graduate check-ins during the event.

e) Ability to survey students post-event regarding their commencement experience.

f) Capture of photo release acknowledgements and related statements.

g) Coordination in managing the order in which students walk across the stage, ensuring stage presentation transitions smoothly and accurately through name announcements.

6) Accessibility and Compliance:

a) All interfaces (public, staff, and student) must meet ADA and WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards (Accessibility Conformance Reports are required to be shared as part of the solicitation).

b) User-friendly design for graduates, guests, and staff, ensuring compatibility with assistive technologies.

c) Customizable interface to align with school branding and color schemes.

B. NON-FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

1) Integration and Compatibility:

a) Seamless integration with existing university systems, including Student Information

System (SIS) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools.

b) Vendor must provide APIs for custom integration and secure data exchange.

c) Integration with institutional photography vendor for coordination and delivery of ceremony images.

2) User Experience and Accessibility:

a) User-friendly interface for both students and staff, accessible across multiple devices.

b) Full ADA compliance with all portals, meeting WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards.

c) Ability to automatically capitalize student names entered in lowercase.

d) Interface customization to match the school’s branding and visual identity.

3) Security and Data Privacy:

a) Robust security protocols, including encryption for data in transit and at rest.

b) Compliance with applicable data privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, FERPA).

c) Role-based access controls and comprehensive audit trails for all user activity.

4) Reliability and Performance:

a) High system uptime with minimal downtime during peak periods.

b) Capability to handle large data volumes and significant spikes in traffic (100-10,000 graduates plus guests).

c) Real-time operational tools to support last-minute ceremony changes and adjustments without performance degradation.

5) Support and Training:

a) Scalable architecture to accommodate growth in ceremony size and complexity.

b) Flexible configuration options to customize features, workflows, ticketing types, and reporting to meet evolving institutional needs.

6) Reporting and Analytics:

a) Ability to generate robust reports, including visual dashboards and data exports to

Excel or Microsoft Suite.

b) Access to running totals for graduate check-ins, ticket usage, and seating allocations.

c) Capability to capture photo release statements and survey student experiences post-event.

7) Cross-Platform and Browser Compatibility:

a) The system must be fully functional on both Mac and PC operating systems, and compatible with all major web browsers (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) without requiring additional plug-ins.

C. CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS

1) Experience:

a) Vendor must have proven experience implementing commencement registration, ticketing, and event management solutions for large institutions supporting 100–10,000 potential graduates, including staff and guests.

2) References and Expertise:

a) Vendor must provide at least three references from comparable higher education institutions where similar systems have been successfully implemented and used for large-scale ceremonies.

3) Support and Training:

a) Vendor must provide comprehensive implementation support, real-time IT assistance during events, and training for staff to fully utilize all system features.

4) Cost and Value:

a) Vendor must offer a clear, transparent pricing structure with all costs itemized, including licensing, implementation, training, and ongoing maintenance. The proposed solution should demonstrate strong overall value in terms of features, scalability, and long-term sustainability for large-scale events.

5) Post-Sale Support:

a) Vendor must provide robust post-sale support to ensure system reliability and performance. This includes timely technical assistance, with critical issues addressed within 1–2 hours, high-priority issues within 4–8 hours, and general inquiries within one business day. System updates should be delivered on a regular basis to maintain performance and security. Dedicated support staff should be accessible during business hours to provide technical assistance and troubleshooting, with 24/7 availability for mission-critical systems to ensure rapid issue resolution and system reliability.

B) TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

Any proposed solution must address and/or provide the following technical requirements to include, but not limited to the following:

1) Describe your solution from the cloud or on-prem based perspective. Are there any additional integration platform services or hardware requirements for VCCS for your product?

2) Describe what data is stored in your product and any data disposition and back up processes.

3) What is the average initial set-up time for the system?

4) Are there institutional hardware requirements for VCCS for your product? Please describe.

5) Provide a detailed description of the software upgrade methodology. How often does software update and how do these updates impact service?

6) Provide a detailed description of the approach to handling software licenses on this project.

Provide a copy of the license agreement(s).

7) Describe how your company prevents system outages and ensures maximum uptime for the system.

8) Describe how your company intends on complying with all VCCS IT privacy requirements and the data security requirements outlined in Attachment 7 “VCCS Cloud Service Provider Security Requirements” including confirmation of your company’s SOC 2 Type II certification or equivalent.

9) Identify your hosting environment and provide any supporting information for 3rd party hosts including confirmation of a SOC 2 Type II Certification or equivalent.

i. Note: SOC 2 Type II Certification equivalent is (a) The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), or (b) ISAE 3000 Type 2 Certifications.

IV. COMPLIANCE

A) The Selected Firm/Vendor will comply with all applicable laws and industry standards in performing services under this agreement. Any Selected Firm/Vendor personnel visiting College facilities will comply with all applicable Virginia Community College System and College policies regarding access to, use of, and conduct within such facilities. The College will provide copies of such policies to the Selected Firm/Vendor upon request.

B) Selected Firm/Vendor warrants that the service it will provide to the College is fully compliant with all state and federal laws, regulations, industry codes, and guidance that may be applicable to the service, which may include:

1) Any applicable national, federal, state or local law, rule, directive or regulation relating to the privacy of personal information, including without limitation, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C. §1232g, and its implementing regulations (“FERPA”), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) and the Privacy and Security Rules issued thereunder, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (the “HITECH Act”), the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999 (“Gramm-Leach- Bliley Act”), the Fair Credit Reporting Act as amended by the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (GLBA), the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Virginia Consumer Protection Act;

2) Any privacy policy or practice applicable to any personal information that Customer or any User accesses, uses, collects, or maintains hereunder, including, without limitation any practice required in connection with the processing of credit card data, including the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS); and

3) Federal Export Administration Regulations, Federal Acquisitions Regulations, Defense Federal Acquisitions Regulations and Department of Education guidance.

C) If the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is applicable to the Selected Firm/Vendor service provided to the college, the selected firm/vendor agrees to:

1) Store, transmit, and process college data in scope of the PCI DSS in compliance with PCI DSS;

2) Attest that any third-party providing services in scope of the PCI DSS under this agreement will store, transmit, and process college data in scope of the PCI DSS in compliance with the PCI

DSS;

3) Provide either proof of PCI DSS compliance or a certification (from a recognized third-party security auditing firm), within ten (10) business days of the request, verifying firm/vendor and any third party who stores, transmits, or processes college data in scope of the PCI DSS as part of the services provided under this agreement maintains ongoing compliance under PCI DSS as it changes over time;

4) Store, transmit, and process any college data in scope of the PCI DSS in a manner that does not bring the college’s network into PCI DSS scope; and

5) Attest that any third-party providing services in scope of PCI DSS under this agreement will store, transmit, and process college data in scope of the PCI DSS in a manner that does not bring the college’s network into PCI DSS scope.

V. PROPOSAL ADMINISTRATION AND INSTRUCTIONS

A) Overview – This RFP was developed to provide all potential Suppliers with the information required to prepare proposals. This section outlines the administrative procedures and guidelines you must use and comply with when preparing a proposal. Nothing in this RFP constitutes an offer or an invitation to a contract.

B) Virginia Public Procurement Act (VPPA) – This RFP is governed by the Virginia Public Procurement Act (“VPPA”), Code § 2.2-4300 et seq., and other applicable laws.

C) Anti-Discrimination – §2.2-4310 and §2.2-4311, and §2.2-4343.1(E) - By submitting its proposal, a Supplier certifies to the Commonwealth that it will conform to the provisions of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended as well as the Virginia Fair Employment Contracting Act of 1975, as amended; and, where applicable, the Virginians with Disabilities Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and §2.2-4311 of the VPPA.

D) Ethics in Public Contracting - §2.2-4367 et seq. – By submitting its proposal, a Supplier certifies that its proposal is made without collusion or fraud; that the Supplier has not offered or received any kickbacks or inducements from any other offeror, supplier, manufacturer, or subcontractor in connection with its proposal; and that the Supplier has not conferred on any public employee having official responsibility for this procurement transaction any payment, loan, subscription, advance, deposit of money, services, or anything of more than nominal value, present or promised, unless consideration of substantially equal or greater value was exchanged. In addition, a Supplier will disclose any actual or perceived conflicts of interest in its proposal and will notify VCCS if it becomes aware of a potential conflict of interest in the future.

E) Announcement of Award - §2.2-4300 et seq. – If a contract is awarded or announced as a result of this RFP, the purchasing agency will post notice of the award decision on the DGS/DPS eVA web http://www.eva.virginia.gov/ site for a minimum of ten (10) days. No award decision will be provided verbally. Any final contract, including pricing, awarded as a result of this RFP will be made available for public inspection.

F) Authorization to Transact Business in the Commonwealth - §2.2-4311.2 – All Suppliers organized as a stock or nonstock corporation, limited liability company, business trust, or limited partnership, or registered as a registered limited liability partnership must be authorized to transact business as a domestic or foreign business entity if so required by Title 13.1 or Title 50 of the Code, or as otherwise required by law. In its proposal, Supplier must include either (i) Supplier’s identification number issued to it by the State Corporation Commission; or (ii) a statement explaining why Supplier is not required to be registered. No award can be made to any Supplier without this information unless this requirement is waived. Attachment 2 of this solicitation includes a space for Supplier to provide the information required in (i) or (ii) of this subsection. If a Supplier anticipates the use of additional resources through a partnership or subcontracting relationship with other entities, the requirements of this Section V.F will also apply to any entities that are engaged as partners or subcontractors of Supplier providing services direction to the Commonwealth upon award of contract.

G) Prohibited Products and Services - §2.2-5514 – No Supplier may include as part of its proposal, whether directly or indirectly through subcontractors, any hardware, software, or services that have been prohibited for use on federal systems by the Department of Homeland Security.

H) Prohibited Contributions and Gifts - §2.2-4376.1 – No Supplier that submits a proposal in response this solicitation, and no individual who is an officer or director of the Supplier shall knowingly provide a contribution, gift, or other items or make an express or implied promise to make such a contribution or gift to the Governor, his political action committee, or the Secretary of Administration during the period between the submission of the proposal and the award of any resulting contract award with an expected value of $5 million or more dollars.

I) Liability – The issuance of this RFP and the receipt of information in response to this RFP will not cause VCCS to incur any liability or obligation, financial or otherwise, to any Supplier. VCCS assumes no obligation to reimburse or in any way compensate a Supplier for expenses incurred in connection with its proposal.

J) Disclosure – Except as provided in paragraph “K” below, all proceedings, records, contracts and other public records relating to this procurement shall be open to the inspection of any citizen, or any interested person, firm or corporation, in accordance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§2.2-3700 et seq.)

K) Trade Secrets and Proprietary Information – FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE FOLLOWING

STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS WILL RESULT IN ALL PROPOSAL MATERIALS BEING SUBJECT TO

RELEASE TO OTHER OFFERORS AND THE PUBLIC IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE VPPA AND THE

VIRGINIA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.

Pursuant to Code §2.2-4342(F), trade secrets or proprietary information submitted by an offeror in connection with a procurement transaction (or, if applicable, a prequalification application submitted pursuant to subsection B of §2.2-4317) shall not be subject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code §2.2-3700 et seq.) if a Supplier:

1) Invokes the protections of this section in writing prior to or upon submission of the data or other materials,

2) Identifies specifically the data or other materials to be protected, and

3) States the reasons why protection is necessary.

Note that you may not designate as trade secrets or proprietary information (a) an entire bid, proposal, or prequalification application; (b) any portion of a bid, proposal, or prequalification application that does not contain trade secrets or proprietary information; or (c) line-item prices or total bid, proposal, or prequalification application prices. The classification of an entire proposal or of pricing as a trade secret or proprietary information is not acceptable and will not be honored by VCCS or the Commonwealth.

Suppliers should keep in mind that procurement and contract records are generally public records, open to inspection in accordance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (see Code § 2.2-4342(A)); and that transparency in procurement, contracting, and other governmental functions serves important public policy objectives. See Code §2.2-4300(C) & §2.23700(B).

Accordingly, Suppliers should not designate as trade secrets or proprietary information any more of their proposal than is necessary.

By submitting a proposal in response to the RFP, a Supplier grants VCCS a worldwide, royalty-free, non-sublicensable, non-exclusive, irrevocable license to retain, reproduce, and use the proposal (including any exhibits or other documents or materials the proposal incorporates) in any format for governmental purposes required or provided for by Virginia law. The foregoing includes, but is not limited to, the right for VCCS to use information submitted in response to this document in any manner VCCS may deem appropriate in evaluating the fitness of the services or solution(s) proposed.

VI. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

A) GENERAL PROPOSAL PREPARATION

1) RFP Response: In order to be considered, offerors must submit a complete response to this RFP (electronic) through eVA, the Commonwealth’s electronic procurement system no later than 2:30 p.m., Eastern time on May 11, 2026. No other distribution of the proposal shall be made by the offeror. Offerors’ proposals will remain valid until contract award.

i. Response:

a. One (1) original proposal including the RFP, coversheet, and signed acknowledgement of any addenda (if applicable). Email is not acceptable.

b. One (1) redacted copy (only if offeror has invoked the protections trade of §2.2-4342F of the Code of Virginia). Redacted copy must be identical to the original copy with the exception of removal of or overwritten redacted information (marked “REDACTED”).

Email is not acceptable.

2) Proposal Preparation:

i. Ownership of all data, materials, and documentation originated and prepared for the VCCS pursuant to this solicitation shall belong exclusively to the VCCS and be subject to public inspection in accordance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. Trade secrets or proprietary information submitted by an offeror shall not be subject to public disclosure under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act; however, the offeror must invoke the protections of §2.2-4342F of the Code of Virginia, in writing, either before or at the time the data or other material is submitted. The written notice must specifically identify the data or materials to be protected and state the reasons why protection is necessary. The proprietary or trade secret material submitted must be identified by some distinct method such as highlighting or underlining and must indicate only the specific words, figures, or paragraphs that constitute trade secret or proprietary information in the original submitted proposal. Additionally, the offer must submit a redacted copy of the proposal if invoking said protection. The classification of an entire proposal document, line-item prices, and/or total proposal prices as proprietary or trade secrets is not acceptable and will result in rejection of the proposal.

ii. Proposals shall be submitted by an authorized representative of the offeror. All information requested should be submitted. Failure to submit all information requested may result in the purchasing agency requiring prompt submission of missing information and/or giving a lowered evaluation of the proposal. Proposals which are substantially incomplete or lack key information may be rejected by the purchasing agency. Mandatory requirements are those required by law or regulation or are such that they cannot be waived and are not subject to negotiation.

iii. Proposals should be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise description of capabilities to satisfy the requirements of the RFP. Emphasis should be placed on completeness and clarity of content.

iv. The entire proposal response should be limited to one hundred (150) typed pages (excluding the complete RFP, without attachments) submitted and filled out as required.

No font shall be smaller than 12 point. Page size shall be 8 ½ x 11 inch. Larger pages are allowed for figures or tables but should be used sparingly. All pages should be numbered.

eVA has a maximum file size per attachment of sixty (60) MB.

v. Proposals should be organized in the order in which the requirements are presented in the RFP. All pages of the proposal should be numbered. Each paragraph in the proposal should reference the paragraph number and the corresponding section of the RFP. Please cite the paragraph number, sub letter, and repeat the text of the requirement as it appears in the RFP. If a response covers more than one page, the paragraph number and sub letter should be repeated at the top of the next page. The proposal should contain a table of contents which cross-references the RFP requirements. Information which the Offeror desires to present that does not fall within any of the requirements of the RFP should be inserted at an appropriate place or be attached at the end of the proposal and designated as additional material. Proposals that are not organized in this manner risk elimination from consideration if the evaluators are unable to find where the RFP requirements are specifically addressed.

vi. As used in this RFP, the terms “must,” “shall,” “should” and “may” identify the criticality of requirements. “Must” and “shall” identify requirements whose absence will have a major negative impact on the suitability of the proposed solution. Items labeled as “should” or “may” are highly desirable, although their absence will not have a large impact and would be useful but are not necessary. Depending on the overall response to the RFP, some individual “must” and “shall” terms may not be fully satisfied, but it is the intent to satisfy most, if not all, “must” and “shall” requirements. The inability of an Offeror to satisfy a “must” or “shall" requirement does not automatically remove that Offeror from consideration; however, it may seriously affect the overall rating of the Offeror’s proposal.

3) Oral Presentation/Demonstrations/Site Visits: Offerors who submit a proposal in response to this RFP may be required to give an oral presentation or provide a demonstration of their proposed solution to the agency. This provides an opportunity for the Offeror to clarify or elaborate on the proposal. This is a fact finding and explanation session only and does not include negotiation. The issuing agency will schedule the time and location for these presentations. Oral presentations are an option of the purchasing agency and may or may not be conducted. The College reserves the right to conduct an on-site inspection of the Offeror’s facility in order to meet with personnel and evaluate facilities prior to contract award. This pre-award site visit will be provided at no cost to the Offeror.

B) SPECIFIC PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

Proposals should be as thorough and detailed as possible so that the VCCS may properly evaluate your capabilities to provide the required services. Offerors are required to submit the following items as a complete proposal:

1) RFP cover sheet and all addenda acknowledgements, if any, signed and filled out as required.

i. Offeror (Vendor) Data Sheet, included as an attachment to the RFP, all other attachments as noted, and other specific items or data requested in the RFP.

ii. A written narrative statement to include:

a. Business – State your firm’s core business, background, and experience in the relevant market (Not to exceed three [3] pages)

b. Corporate Identity – Provide the identity of any parent entity, including address, phone, and fax numbers, federal employer identification number (FEIN) or Tax ID No., company website and contact email. Provide the identity of any of your subsidiaries, as applicable (Not to exceed three [3] pages)

c. Organization and Structure – Provide an overview of your firm’s organizational operating structure and describe the operation and functional relationships of the business units within your organization, as they relate to your proposal and VCCS’s stated needs and requirements. Organizational charts are helpful supplements to the descriptions.

Indicate whether your firm expects to provide the services with existing resources or plans to secure additional resources by partnering or subcontracting. If applicable, identify the additional resources required to provide the services included in the proposal and the timetable for obtaining such resources. If your firm expects to utilize a partnership or subcontracting relationship, any such partner or subcontractor shall comply with the requirements of Section V.F above.

d. Strategic Relationships – Identify any and all strategic relationships with other related Suppliers you have or anticipate having. State all subcontractors expected to be employed and outsourced services to be used in implementing the proposed solution.

VCCS reserves the right to request that Supplier provide all the information described in this section for any and all major subcontractors proposed by Supplier.

e. Financial Information

i. Total Annual Revenue – State your total annual revenue and indicate the revenues associated with the provision of services relevant to your proposal.

ii. Dun and Bradstreet Credit Report – Include your firm’s current full D&B business report, if D&B issues reports on Offeror.

iii. Annual Reports – Provide certified, audited financial statements (i.e., income statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements) for the most recent three years.

(Any Supplier that has been in business for a shorter period of time is requested to submit any available certified, audited annual financial statements.) VCCS may request copies of or access to current or historic annual reports. VCCS reserves the right to access a Supplier’s publicly available financial information and to consider such information in its evaluation of Supplier’s proposal.

f. Offeror Experience Level and Customer References – Supplier should have a demonstrable, proven record of providing service similar to those defined in Section III to customers of similar scope and complexity. Provide three customer references, with contact names, email addresses, phone numbers, solution descriptions, and dates implemented that VCCS may use as a reference check in evaluating your proposal.

VCCS will make such reasonable investigations as deemed proper and necessary to determine the ability of an Offeror to perform a resultant contract. These may include, but may not be limited to, reference checks and interviews. The references should be from organizations where Offeror is providing services that are similar in type and scope to those identified in Section III.

g. Security Risk Management Overview – Provide an overview of your firm’s comprehensive security risk management processes including your application, monitoring, and management of the controls used. Provide details as to how you establish the context for security risk-based decisions, how you assess the risk, how you respond to the risk once it’s determined, and how you monitor the risk on an ongoing basis using communications and feedback for continuous improvement within your organization.

h. Account Management Plan – Provide a detailed description of the approach that your firm would take in order to manage the business and performance aspects of an awarded contract. Provide a detailed description of the approach your firm would take to support self-sufficiency of a public body with respect to the solution and the transition of solution management to a public body requesting such a transition.

iii. Specific methodology and plans for providing the proposed services including:

a. What, when, how and by whom the services will be performed or accomplished.

b. Projected timeline for delivery of services relative to award date of contract.

c. Implementation of system

d. Experience of Offeror and personnel

e. Project Management requirements

iv. Proposed fees: Complete Attachment 6 – Pricing Schedule for all goods and services as outlined in this RFP.

VII. EVALUATION AND AWARD CRITERIA

A) EVALUATION CRITERIA: Proposals will be evaluated by the VCCS using the following criteria:

Evaluation Criteria % of Total Specific Plans and Methodology 5 Experience and Qualifications 20 Technical Requirements/Functionality of System 25 Maintenance and Support 25 Proposed Pricing 5 Small Business Plan 20

TOTAL 100

B) AWARD: Selection shall be made of two or more offerors deemed to be fully qualified and best suited among those submitting proposals on the basis of the evaluation factors included in the Request for Proposals, including price, if so, stated in the Request for Proposals. Negotiations shall be conducted with the offerors so selected. The offeror shall state any exception to any contractual terms or conditions, including any liability provisions contained in the Request for Proposal in writing at the time of responding to such Request for Proposal if so requested by the Commonwealth. Such exceptions shall be considered during negotiation but shall not be used as a basis for scoring or evaluating which offerors are selected for negotiations. Price shall be considered but need not be the sole determining factor. After negotiations have been conducted with each offeror so selected, the agency shall select the offeror which, in its opinion, has made the best proposal, and shall award the contract to that offeror. The Commonwealth reserves the right to make multiple awards as a result of this solicitation. The Commonwealth may cancel this Request for Proposals or reject proposals at any time prior to an award and is not required to furnish a statement of the reasons why a particular proposal was not deemed to be the most advantageous (Code of Virginia, § 2.2-4359D). Should the Commonwealth determine in writing and in its sole discretion that only one offeror is fully qualified, or that one offeror is clearly more highly qualified than the others under consideration, a contract may be negotiated and awarded to that offeror. The award document will be a contract incorporating by reference all the requirements, terms and conditions of the solicitation and the supplier’s proposal as negotiated.

VIII. GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

A) ANTI-DISCRIMINATION: By submitting their proposals, offerors certify to the Commonwealth that they will conform to the provisions of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, as well as the Virginia Fair Employment Contracting Act of 1975, as amended, where applicable, the Virginians With Disabilities Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act, and § 2.2-4311 of the Virginia Public Procurement Act (VPPA). If the award is made to a faith-based organization, the organization shall not discriminate against any recipient of goods, services, or disbursements made pursuant to the contract on the basis of the recipient’s religion, religious belief, refusal to participate in religious practice, or on the basis of race, age, color, gender sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin and shall be subject to the same rules as other organizations that contract with public bodies to account for the use of the funds provided; however, if the faith-based organization segregates public funds into separate accounts, only the accounts and programs funded with public funds shall be subject to audit by the public body. (Code of Virginia, § 2.2-4343.1E)

In every contract over $10,000 the provisions in 1) and 2) below apply:

1) During the performance of this contract, the supplier agrees as follows:

i. The supplier will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or any other basis prohibited by state law relating to discrimination in employment, except where there a bona fide occupational qualification reasonably necessary to the normal operation of the supplier. The supplier agrees to post in conspicuous places, available to employees and applicants for employment, notices setting forth the provisions of this nondiscrimination clause.

ii. The supplier, in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by or on behalf of the supplier, will state that such supplier is an equal opportunity employer.

iii. Notices, advertisements, and solicitations placed in accordance with federal law, rule or regulation shall be deemed sufficient for the purpose of meeting the requirements of this section.

iv. If the supplier employs more than five employees, the supplier shall (i) provide annual training on the Supplier’s sexual harassment policy to all supervisors and employees providing services in the Commonwealth, except such supervisors or employees that are required to complete sexual harassment training provided by the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management, and (ii) post the supplier’s sexual harassment policy in (a) a conspicuous public place in each building located in the Commonwealth that the Supplier owns or leases for business purposes, and (b) the Supplier’s employee handbook.

v. The requirements of these provisions 1) and 2) are a material part of the contract. If the Supplier violates one of these provisions, the Commonwealth may terminate the affected part of this contract for breach, or at its option, the whole contract. Violation of one of these provisions may also result in debarment from State contracting regardless of whether the specific contract is terminated.

vi. In accordance with Executive Order 61 (2017), a prohibition on discrimination by the supplier, in its employment practices, subcontracting practices, and delivery of goods or services, on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, political affiliation, disability, or veteran status, is hereby incorporated in this contract.

2) The supplier will include the provisions of 1) above in every subcontractor purchase order over $10,000, so that the provisions will be binding upon each subcontractor or vendor.

B) ETHICS IN PUBLIC CONTRACTING: By submitting their proposals, offerors certify that their proposals are made without collusion or fraud and that they have not offered or received any kickbacks or inducements from any other offeror, supplier, manufacturer or subcontractor in connection with their proposal, and that they have not conferred on any public employee having official responsibility for this procurement transaction any payment, loan, subscription, advance, deposit of money, services or anything of more than nominal value, present or promised, unless consideration of substantially equal or greater value was exchanged.

C) IMMIGRATION REFORM AND CONTROL ACT OF 1986: Applicable for all contracts over $10,000:

By entering into a written contract with the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Supplier certifies that the Supplier does not and shall not during the performance of the contract for goods and services in the Commonwealth, knowingly employ an unauthorized alien as defined in the Federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

D) DEBARMENT STATUS: By participating in this procurement, the vendor certifies that they are not currently debarred by the Commonwealth of Virginia from submitting a response for the type of goods and/or services covered by this solicitation. Vendor further certifies that they are not debarred from filling any order or accepting any resulting order, or that they are not an agent of any person or entity that is currently debarred by the Commonwealth of Virginia.

If a vendor is created or used for the purpose of circumventing a debarment decision against another vendor, the non-debarred vendor will be debarred for the same time period as the debarred vendor.

E) ANTITRUST: By entering into a contract, the supplier conveys, sells, assigns, and transfers to the Commonwealth of Virginia all rights, title, and interest in and to all causes of action it may now have or hereafter acquire under the antitrust laws of the United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia, relating to the particular goods or services purchased or acquired by the Commonwealth of Virginia under said contract.

F) MANDATORY USE OF STATE FORM AND TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR RFPs: Failure to submit a proposal on the official state form provided for that purpose may be a cause for rejection of the proposal. Modification of or additions to the General Terms and Conditions of the solicitation may be cause for rejection of the proposal; however, the Commonwealth reserves the right to decide, on a case by case basis, in its sole discretion, whether to reject such a proposal.

G) CLARIFICATION OF TERMS: If any prospective offeror has questions about the specifications or other solicitation documents, the prospective offeror should contact the buyer whose name appears on the face of the solicitation no later than five working days before the due date. Any revisions to the solicitation will be made only by addendum issued by the buyer.

H) QUALIFICATIONS OF OFFERORS: The Commonwealth may make such reasonable investigations as deemed proper and necessary to determine the ability of the offeror to perform the services/furnish the goods and the offeror shall furnish to the Commonwealth all such information and data for this purpose as may be requested. The Commonwealth reserves the right to inspect offeror’s physical facilities prior to award to satisfy questions regarding the offeror’s capabilities. The Commonwealth further reserves the right to reject any proposal if the evidence submitted by, or investigations of, such offeror fails to satisfy the Commonwealth that such offeror is properly qualified to carry out the obligations of the contract and to provide the services and/or furnish the goods contemplated therein.

I) BID PRICE CURRENCY: Unless stated otherwise in the solicitation, offerors shall state offer prices in US dollars.

J) PAYMENT:

To Prime Contractor:

1) Invoices for items ordered, delivered, and accepted shall be submitted by the supplier directly to the payment address shown on the purchase order/contract. All invoices shall show the state contract number and/or purchase order number; social security number (for individual suppliers) or the federal employer identification number (for proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations).

2) Any payment terms requiring payment in less than thirty (30) days will be regarded as requiring payment thirty (30) days after invoice or delivery, whichever occurs last. This shall not affect offers of discounts for payment in less than thirty (30) days, however.

3) All…