RFP+-+VCSU-2025-0015-AA.pdf

Facilities Services

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Questions about this form? Please call 701-845-7710

To: Offerors

From: Jessica Gortmaker Director for Facilities Services

Date: October 1, 2025

RE: Request for Proposal: VCSU-2025-0015-AA, North Dakota Network for Personized Learning Due: October 15, at 2:00pm

Valley City State University (VCSU), serving as the intermediary for innovative education, and is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) to advance personalized learning and innovative educational practices across North Dakota. The Scope of Work outlines the categories and deliverables for the 2025–2027 term.

The scope of the work will be from 2025–2027. However, the initial approved proposals will begin on November 1, 2025, and run through June 30, 2026. This project is for PK–20 learners and educators across North Dakota. VCSU will work in conjunction with the North Dakota Network for Personalized Learning (https://www.ndplnetwork.org/) to advance this mission statewide for PK–20 learners and educators.

Valley City State University (VCSU) will coordinate and deliver flexible, responsive implementation support, technical assistance, and applied research to advance personalized learning across North Dakota. Work will be reviewed quarterly with NDDPI to evaluate progress, refine priorities, and ensure continuous improvement. VCSU in collaboration with the North Dakota Network for Personalized Learning (NDNPL), housed at VCSU, will serve as the statewide hub and the primary vehicle for delivering these services. The project goals are divided into six broad categories of work. A common scope of work (SOW) is provided that applies across all six categories—Vision, Leadership, Teaching, Partnerships, Policy, and Research. Vendors may submit proposals for individual deliverables within a category, for an entire category, or across multiple categories.

Proposals may be delivered by mail or email to the address listed below. Proposals must be marked “VCSU-2025-0015-AA, North Dakota Network for Personized Learning” and received at the Office of Facilities Services before the due date and time.

Please read the enclosed insurance and indemnity requirements in the VCSU Service Contract that is included with the RFP information. Only the Offeror(s) awarded the work will be required to sign a service contract and provide proof of insurance, AFTER the RFP is awarded and before any work can be done.

If the successful Offeror requires VCSU to sign their own contract, a copy of the contract must be submitted with the proposal.

The location of the proposal receipts will be at the Facilities Services Office, Valley City State University, 101 College St SW, Valley City ND 58072. Proposals may also be submitted through ND SPO Online – please see the instructions in Section 4.

If you have any questions concerning this Request for Proposal, please email Jessica Gortmaker at jessica.gortmaker@vcsu.edu.

Failure to comply with instructions, and terms and conditions could disqualify your proposal.

Thank you for your anticipated response to the proposal.

https://www.ndplnetwork.org/ https://attorneygeneral.nd.gov/open-records-meetings

Questions about this form? Please call 701-845-7710

Table of Contents Section 1 – Instructions

1.1. Purpose of RFP

1.2. Procurement Officer Contact Information

1.3. Definitions

1.4. RFP Schedule

1.5. Bidders List and Secretary of State Registration

1.6. Submission instructions

1.7. Additional Terms

1.8. Assistance to Bidders with a Disability

1.9. Contact Person

1.10. Questions and Clarifications

1.11. Offer Held Firm

1.12. Corrections

1.13. Facsimile Proposals

1.14. Late Proposals

1.15. Preproposal Conference or Site Inspection

1.16. Proposal Opening

1.17. Withdrawal or Changes to a Response Prior to the Proposal Opening Date and Time

1.18. Withdrawals After the Proposal Opening Date and Time

1.19. News Releases

1.20. Conflict of Interest

1.21. Attempt to Influence Prohibited

1.22. Collusion Prohibited

1.23. Right of Rejection

1.24. Minor Informalities

1.25. Addenda

1.26. Protest and Appeal

1.27. Review of the Proposal

1.28. Signature

1.29. Taxes

Section 2 – Background

2.1. Background Information

Section 3 – Scope of Work

3.1. Scope of Work

Section 4 – Proposal Instructions

4.1. Proposal Preparation

4.2. Proposal Submission Instructions

4.3. Proposal Format

4.4. Technical Proposal

4.5. Cost Proposal

Section 5 – Award and Proposal Evaluation

5.1. Award

5.2. Responsiveness

5.3. Responsibility – Supplementary Investigation

5.4. Evaluation Criteria

5.5. Cost Proposal Evaluation

5.6. Clarifications of Proposals – Discussions

5.7. Right of Rejection

5.8. Presentations, Demonstrations, and Site Visits

5.9. Best and Final Offers

5.10. Negotiations

5.11. Notice of Intent to Award

5.12. Contract Approval

5.13. Evaluation Debriefing

Section 6 – Contract Information

6.1. North Dakota Contractual Requirements

6.7. State Contract Terms and Conditions – Offeror’s Proposed Changes

6.8. Contract Provisions

6.9. Contractual Terms and Conditions – No Material Changes

6.10. Scope of Work

6.11. Contract Term

6.12. Right to Inspect Place of Business

ATTACHMENT A – CONTRACT (draft) ATTACHMENT B – Technical Proposal Evaluation Worksheet ATTACHMENT C – Intermediary Contract and Success Criteria

Section 1 – Instructions

1.1. Purpose of RFP.

Valley City State University (VCSU), serving as the intermediary for innovative education, and is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) to advance personalized learning and innovative educational practices across North Dakota. The Scope of Work outlines the categories and deliverables for the 2025–2027 term.

The intent is to identify qualified service providers who can support VCSU’s and North Dakota Network for Personalized Learning scope of work in advancing personalized, Personalized Learning (PL) across North Dakota, aligned to the North Dakota Personalized Learning Success Criteria and the VCSU Scope of Work.

1.2. Procurement Officer Contact Information.

The Procurement Officer is the point of contact for this RFP. Offerors shall direct all communication regarding this RFP to the Procurement Officer. Please do not add the Procurement Officer to any marketing distribution lists.

PROCUREMENT OFFICER: Jessica Gortmaker EMAIL: jessica.gortmaker@vcsu.edu

Engaging in unauthorized communication or seeking to obtain information about an open solicitation with any state employee or official other than the responsible Procurement Officer or designee is sufficient grounds for suspension or debarment.

[N.D.A.C. § 4-12-05-04(7)]

1.3. Definitions.

• Contractor: Entity that has an approved contract with the State of North Dakota.

• CT: Central Time Zone

• OMB: Office of Management and Budget

• RFP: Request for Proposal

• Solicitation Closing: Deadline for receipt of proposals listed in the RFP schedule

• SPO: Office of Management and Budget, State Procurement Office

• SPO Online: State Procurement Office Online System

• University: Valley City State University

• VCSU: Valley City State University

1.4. RFP Schedule.

EVENT DATE and TIME RFP issued October 1, 2025

Deadline for submission of Questions and Objections October 8, 2025

Solicitation Amendment with responses to Questions issued approximately (if required) October 10, 2025

Deadline for Bidders List and Secretary of State Registration. Prior to Contract Signing

Deadline for receipt of proposals (Solicitation Closing) October 15, 2025, at 2:00 pm Proposal evaluation completed by – approximately October 17, 2025 Presentations on campus by top 3 vendors – approximately Week of October 20th

Notice of intent to award issued – approximately October 27, 2025 Contract Negotiations (See Section 5.10).

Contract start approximately November 1, 2025

1.5. Bidders List and Secretary of State Registration.

Offerors must comply with requirements related for OMB Bidders List application and Secretary of State registration (N.D.C.C. 54-44.4-09). Bidders Lists are used to notify vendors when solicitations are issued on the State Procurement Office Online System (SPO Online). RFPS will be accepted from Offerors not on the Bidders List. The successful offeror must complete the Bidders List application process and comply with Secretary of State registration requirements within 60 calendar days from the date of intent to award is issued. If the successful offeror does not register within http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-14.pdf?20130319105642

Questions about this form? Please call 701-845-7710 this time, its proposal may be rejected. Secretary of State Registration and Online Bidder Registration instructions are available online at Bidder Registration | Office of Management and Budget, North Dakota.

1.6. Submission instructions.

Follow the instructions on the cover letter of this RFP.

1.7. Additional Terms.

Additional terms and conditions submitted with a proposal response are of no effect unless accepted in writing by the purchasing agency. Proposals with any additional terms and conditions may be rejected as nonresponsive.

1.8. Assistance to Bidders with a Disability.

Offerors with a disability that needs accommodation must contact the Procurement Officer prior to the deadline for receipt of proposals so that reasonable accommodation can be made.

1.9. Contact Person.

Purchasing Officer, Jessica Gortmaker, jessica.gortmaker@vcsu.edu.

1.10. Questions and Clarifications.

All questions and requests for clarification regarding this solicitation must be addressed to the Procurement Officer referenced on the cover sheet of this document. The requirements of this solicitation can only be altered by written amendment of the solicitation. Verbal communications from whatever source are of no effect. Questions must be received by the deadline specified on the cover sheet to allow the Procurement Officer to issue any needed amendments in sufficient time before the proposal opening date.

1.11. Offer Held Firm.

Offerors must hold proposals firm for at least 180 days from the deadline for receipt of proposals (Solicitation Closing). VCSU may send a written request to all Offerors to hold their offer firm for a longer period of time.

1.12. Corrections.

The offeror’s authorized representative must initial any corrections and alterations (i.e. erasures, whiteouts, correction tape, etc.) made to the proposal response. Those proposal responses with corrections and alterations that are not initialed are subject to acceptance by the Procurement Office.

1.13. Facsimile Proposals.

Proposals faxed to VCSU will be rejected. Proposals may be faxed to a third party who will put it in a properly addressed envelope and deliver it to VCSU before the date and time specified in the solicitation.

1.14. Late Proposals.

It is the offeror’s responsibility to ensure that their response is physically deposited with VCSU prior to the date and time specified for the opening. Late responses will not be opened and will be rejected regardless of the degree of lateness or the reason.

1.15. Preproposal Conference or Site Inspection.

The University will not hold a preproposal conference or site inspection for this RFP.

1.16. Proposal Opening.

A public opening will not be held.

This is a formal sealed Request for Proposal (RFP) process. Proposals will be secured and held unopened until the Solicitation Closing deadline. Per N.D.A.C § 4-12-08-04, the openings may be made public at the discretion of the purchasing agency. If a public opening is held, only the names of Offerors that submitted proposals can be revealed at the opening, and each proposal will be opened in a manner to avoid disclosure of the contents to the competing Offerors.

1.17. Withdrawal or Changes to a Response Prior to the Proposal Opening Date and Time.

Before the proposal opening date and time, the offeror’s authorized representative may withdraw or change a response by making a written request to the Procurement Officer.

https://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-14.pdf mailto:jessica.gortmaker@vcsu.edu https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t54c44-4.pdf

Questions about this form? Please call 701-845-7710

1.18. Withdrawals After the Proposal Opening Date and Time.

After the opening, no changes may be made to the proposal response. The offeror may make a written request to withdraw the response, subject to approval by the Procurement Officer. Offerors repeatedly withdrawing proposal after the opening date may be removed from the State bidders list.

1.19. News Releases.

Offerors shall not make any news releases related to this RFP without prior approval from VCSU.

1.20. Conflict of Interest.

Under state laws and rules, a state employee or official shall not participate directly or indirectly in a procurement when the state employee or officials knows of a conflict of interest. Potential conflicts of interest include state employees or their immediate family members employed by the firm, seeking employment with the firm, or with a financial interest in the firm.

Potential conflicts of interest will be addressed in accordance with N.D.A.C. § 4-12-04-04. [N.D.C.C. § 12.1-13-03 ]

Persons employed by the State of North Dakota, or within one year thereafter, may be prohibited from acquiring a pecuniary interest in a public contract or transaction. Offerors should review N.D.C.C. § 12.1-13-02 to ensure compliance and avoid such conflict(s) of interest.

1.21. Attempt to Influence Prohibited.

Offerors must not give or offer to give anything to a state employee or official anything that might influence or appear to influence procurement decisions. Suspected attempt to influence will be handled in accordance with N.D.A.C. § 4-12-04-05.

1.22. Collusion Prohibited.

Offerors must prepare proposals independently, without collusion. Suspected collusion will be handled in accordance with N.D.A.C § 4-12-04-06.

1.23. Right of Rejection.

VCSU reserves the right to reject any, and all proposals, in whole or in part. Proposals received from debarred or suspended vendors will be rejected. The procurement office may reject any proposal that is not responsive to all of the material and substantial terms, conditions, and performance requirements of the proposal. VCSU also reserves the right to refrain from making an award if it determines it to be in its best interest.

1.24. Minor Informalities.

VCSU reserves the right to waive minor informalities in proposal responses. Minor informalities are insignificant omissions or nonjudgmental mistakes that are matters of form rather than substance, evident from the proposal document, with a negligible effect on price, quantity, quality, delivery, or contractual conditions that can be waived or corrected without prejudice to other offerors.

1.25. Addenda.

Any addenda issued during solicitation time shall be included in the proposal response and will be a part of the contract.

1.26. Protest and Appeal.

An interested party may protest a solicitation pursuant to N.D.C.C. § 54-44.4-12 and N.D.A.C. § 4-12-14-01. When a solicitation contains a deadline for submission of questions and objections, protests of the solicitation will not be allowed if these faults have not been brought to the attention of the Procurement Officer before the specified deadline. If no deadline for questions is specified, protest based upon defects in the solicitation must be made at least seven calendar days before the deadline for receipt of proposals.

An Offeror that has submitted a response to a solicitation and is aggrieved may protest an award or notice of intent to award pursuant to N.D.C.C. § 54-44.4-12 and N.D.A.C. § 4-12-14-02. The protest must be submitted in writing to the Procurement Officer during the protest period, which is seven calendar days beginning the day after the notice of intent to award is issued.

The protestor may appeal the decision of the Procurement Officer to the Director of OMB or designee in writing within seven calendar days after receiving notice of the decision pursuant to N.D.C.C. § 54-44.4-12 and N.D.A.C. § 4-12-14-03.

1.27. Review of the Proposal.

After the proposal opening, proposals become subject to North Dakota open records laws. Interested parties may request http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-04.pdf?20140130144222 http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-11.pdf http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-12.pdf http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-04.pdf?20140130144222 mailto:erica.buchholz@vcsu.edu?20140130144222 http://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t54c44-4.pdf?20130417132347 https://www.omb.nd.gov/doing-business-state/procurement/registration-and-maintenance-bidders?20130417132435 http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-04.pdf?20130417132347 http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-14.pdf?20130417132435 mailto:erin.klingenberg@vcsu.edu?20130417132347 http://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t54c44-4.pdf

Questions about this form? Please call 701-845-7710 public information and make arrangements to review the proposal file by contacting the Purchasing Officer during normal working hours, between 7:30am and 4:00pm, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

1.28. Signature.

The offeror submitting the response or that offeror’s duly authorized agent or representative must sign the response manually in ink. The name and title of the person signing the response must be typed or printed below the signature.

1.29. Taxes.

VCSU is not responsible for and will not pay local, state, or federal taxes. VCSU sales tax exemption number is E-5414. VCSU will furnish certificates of exemption upon request by the Contractor.

Section 2 – Background

2.1. Background Information.

Valley City State University (VCSU) is one of the eleven state-operated institutions of higher education within North Dakota and part of the North Dakota University System, which is governed in whole by the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education.

Valley City State University's (VCSU) mission is to deliver a quality educational experience in an engaging, innovative culture and a technology-enhanced environment, serving the best interests of its students, region, and society. The university is committed to technological integration, promoting an appreciation for diversity and inclusion, and providing degrees in education, business, and liberal arts and sciences to foster learner-centered experiences.

The following statistics regarding Valley City State University are based on the data from Fall 2025:

• Enrollment:

o Headcount – 1663 o Part-time – 817 o Full-time – 846

• Employees – 280

2.2 Intermediary Contract and Success Criteria – See Attachment C

Section 3 – Scope of Work

3.1. Scope of Work.

Valley City State University (VCSU), serving as the intermediary for innovative education, invites proposals to accelerate personalized learning and innovative practices statewide for PK–20 learners and educators during the 2025–2027 term.

VCSU will lead and coordinate the work in conjunction with the North Dakota Network for Personalized Learning (https://www.ndplnetwork.org/). Proposals will be accepted for work beginning November 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, with the potential to extend within the broader 2025–2027 scope.

The project goals are divided into six broad categories of work. A common scope of work (SOW) that applies across all six categories—Vision, Leadership, Teaching, Partnerships, Policy, and Research—must center on the core functions necessary to build, sustain, evaluate, and scale the personalized learning initiative statewide. Vendors may submit proposals for individual deliverables within a category, for an entire category, or across multiple categories. Each proposal must identify the deliverables addressed, explain how the vendor will help VCSU carry out these deliverables to achieve the project’s goals, and include evidence of prior success, capacity to deliver at scale, and a cost proposal tied to the proposed scope.

3.2. Deliverables

The common elements that form the overarching scope of work include:

Strategic Guidance, Facilitation, and Alignment The scope involves leading and guiding various stakeholders and activities to ensure consistency and coherence across the entire initiative.

• Ensuring Alignment: A core function across all domains is to ensure that all content, practices, and policies align with North Dakota’s Key Elements of Personalized Learning and use common vocabulary. This ensures the vision drives implementation, capacity building, and policy formulation.

• Leading Processes and Facilitation: This includes leading the process and facilitation for school and district adopters through strategic planning and implementation, as well as facilitating leadership coaching cycles, role-alike networks, and peer mentoring opportunities.

• Supporting Implementation and Flexibility: The scope requires supporting, facilitating, and evaluating implementation of teaching practices, as well as supporting districts in pursuing waivers and other flexibility measures to drive innovation.

• Convening Advisory Groups: Establishing and convening advisory groups is essential to guide offerings, evaluation, and success measures, ensuring that input informs teaching practices, policy development, and research prioritization.

Building Capacity and Developing Resources A common scope element is the commitment to developing capacity among stakeholders and providing the necessary tools for system-wide implementation.

• Delivering Professional Learning (PL): The SOW involves designing and delivering differentiated professional learning opportunities for administrators, principals, coaches, and teacher-leaders. It also includes delivering PL focused on personalized, student-centered instruction to build learner agency and efficacy.

• Resource and Toolkit Development: This includes the development of instructional resources, frameworks, and toolkits to support personalized learning practices.

• Building and Sustaining Capacity: The work must build district and school-level capacity to implement and sustain personalized learning across all categories of the strategic plan.

• Recruitment and Retention Support: This scope includes support for recruitment and retention of educators, often through professional learning experiences that rejuvenate classroom practice. Furthermore, it involves exploring and developing credentialing and recognition pathways for educators.

Communication, Networking, and Promotion The scope involves actively communicating the plan's goals, successes, and findings both internally and externally, linking local efforts to national movements.

• Developing Communication Strategies: The SOW requires developing statewide communication strategies to promote innovation, continuous improvement, and student-centered equity.

• Maintaining Channels: Maintaining active communication channels including websites, newsletters, and social media is necessary to disseminate information across all six areas of the plan.

https://www.ndplnetwork.org/

• Sharing and Showcasing: The scope includes highlighting and sharing examples of classroom, building, and district strategies to drive alignment and establish North Dakota as a recognized leader. This also extends to presenting and showcasing the North Dakota Network for Personalized Learning at regional and national conferences.

• Leveraging External Networks: A common function is to serve as a conduit for ND to engage with national innovation networks and to leverage and expand partnerships with various state and national organizations.

Research, Evaluation, and Actionable Recommendations All activities must be underpinned by a focus on data collection and analysis to ensure continuous improvement and inform future steps, from teaching practices to policy shifts.

• Data Collection and Analysis: The scope requires the collection and analysis of data on personalized learning outcomes.

• Evaluation and Review: This includes facilitating focus groups, surveys, and literature reviews to evaluate implementation and outcomes, as well as conducting statistical analysis and national best-practice reviews to inform improvement and policy.

• Reporting and Policy Translation: The SOW includes the responsibility to produce annual project progress reports and respond to legislative requests. Crucially, it involves translating research findings into actionable recommendations to guide state and district practices across all relevant categories.

• Measuring Success: Success measures, which are essential for research, must be incorporated early on to guide offerings and evaluation.

Alignment: All deliverables must be aligned to the Scope of Work and North Dakota Personalized Learning Success Criteria (Emerging, Developing, and Transforming levels) – Attachment D and support the VCSU Scope of Work (above). See Attachment D for detailed expectations and measures of success.

Progress Reporting: Quarterly reporting on progress and outcomes.

3.3. Other

• Contract Term, Schedule, and Deliverables.

o Contract Term. This contract will be from the date of award, approximately November 1, 2025, for approximately one year until completion, approximately June 30, 2026. See attached contract for extension provisions.

o Schedule and Deliverables. VCSU has identified the following deliverables as significant work products or milestones in the project. VCSU requires these deliverables to be addressed in the Contract Schedule, as a minimum. The Contractor shall develop a scheduled for accomplishing the Scope of Work, including these specific deliverables. The final schedule shall be agreed upon between VCSU and the successful Offeror and incorporated into the Contract.

• Experience and Qualifications o Experience. In order to be considered responsive, offerors must meet the minimum prior experience requirements. An offeror’s failure to meet these minimum prior experience requirements will cause its proposal to be considered non-responsive and its proposal will be rejected. The minimum experience requirements are: Two (2) years prior experience.

• Required Licenses. At the time of specified by the deadline for submission of proposals, the offeror must have and keep current any professional licenses and permits required by federal, state, and local laws for performance of this contract. Offerors that do not possess required licenses at the time of the proposal will be determined non-responsive.

• Federal Requirements. The offeror must identify all known federal requirements that apply to the proposal or the contract.

• Location. The offeror must identify where the work is to be performed, completed, and managed.

• Risk Management. The offeror will take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of its employees, state employees, the public, and property. The offeror must identify any additional safety risks associated with the project.

Section 4 – Proposal Instructions

4.1. Proposal Preparation.

VCSU discourages overly lengthy and costly proposals; however, in order for VCSU to evaluate proposals fairly and completely, offerors must follow the format set out in this RFP and provide all information requested.

Each proposal will include a Technical Proposal and a Cost Proposal prepared in accordance with these instructions. The Technical Proposal and a Cost Proposal must be submitted as separate documents, clearly labeled with the name of the Offeror, and marked “Technical Proposal” and “Cost Proposal.” Costs must not be revealed in the Technical Proposal.

Options may be discussed in the technical proposal, but all cost information must be in the Cost Proposal only. DO NOT submit documents that are embedded into proposal documents or that contain links to documents on an external website.

4.2. Proposal Submission Instructions.

Proposals can be submitted by mail to the Procurement Officer or uploaded through the State Procurement Online System (SPO Online).

Submit in Person, by Mail, or Delivery Service.

Offerors may submit proposals in person, by mail, or delivery service by October 15, 2025, by 2:00 pm.

Clearly address all envelopes or packages as follows:

RFP #: VCSU-2025-0015-AA

RFP Title: North Dakota Network for Personized Learning ATTN: Jessica Gortmaker Valley City State University 101 College St SW Valley City ND 58072

VCSU assumes no responsibility for delays caused by any delivery service. Postmarking by the Solicitation Closing deadline shall not substitute for actual proposal receipt by VCSU. VCSU’s time of receipt will used to determine timely receipt.

Copies of Technical and Cost Proposal Offeror shall submit five (5) copies of its Technical Proposal and one (1) copy of the Cost Proposal in a separate, sealed envelope, clearly labeled “Cost Proposal.

Offeror shall also submit its proposal in an electronic version (examples: Microsoft Word, Excel or PDF format) on a USB flash drive with the Technical Proposal and Cost Proposal saved as separate files.

Upload Response through the State Procurement Online System (SPO Online):

Offeror may electronically submit proposals through the State Procurement Office Online system (SPO Online) by the Solicitation Closing deadline.

DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO SUBMIT A RESPONSE. We recommend uploading your response 24 hours prior to the Solicitation Closing deadline.

Offeror must begin the electronic submission process well in advance of the Solicitation Closing deadline to allow for transmission and resolution of any technical issues. Be advised that VCSU is not responsible for an Offeror’s failure to timely submit a proposal due to any technical difficulties. If you experience any technical difficulties, contact the Procurement Officer or the State Procurement Office at infospo@nd.gov or 701-328-2740.

If documents are in the process of being uploaded when the Solicitation Closing deadline occurs, the upload process will stop.

The attempted submission will not be uploaded successfully and is ineligible for consideration. VCSU takes no responsibility for electronic submissions that are captured, blocked, filtered, quarantined, or otherwise prevented from uploading by any anti-virus or other security software.

1. This solicitation is posted on SPO Online at: https://apps.nd.gov/csd/spo/services/bidder/main.htm

2. Select “Recent Solicitations” and find the solicitation. Solicitations are listed by close date.

3. Use “Upload Response” to upload a maximum of five (5) clearly labeled documents before the Solicitation Closing mailto:infospo@nd.gov https://apps.nd.gov/csd/spo/services/bidder/main.htm deadline provided in the RFP schedule.

4. Offerors must upload their Technical Proposal and Cost Proposal in separate files.

5. The maximum file size allowed is 50 MB per file.

6. There is a 50-character file name limitation for the document being uploaded.

7. There is a 75-character limit in the TITLE field within SPO Online.

8. All SPO Online field entries must be alphanumeric. Dashes and underscores are allowed; however, the system DOES NOT accept other special characters such as apostrophe, & symbol, quotation marks, etc.

9. DO NOT submit documents that are embedded (zip files), movies, wmp, encrypted, or mp3 files.

10. Offeror will receive an email confirmation from infospo@nd.gov that the upload response was received including the “File

Description” for the uploaded files. Review this email to ensure all files were successfully uploaded. If Offeror DOES NOT receive an email confirmation, the upload was NOT successful, and the files will need to be uploaded again. If Offeror does not receive an email confirmation after the reattempt, contact the Procurement Officer or the State Procurement Office at infospo@nd.gov or 701-328-2740.

4.3. Proposal Format.

Prepare the Technical Proposal and Cost Proposal in accordance with these instructions.

Technical Proposal – Format the proposal with the following labeled sections:

Section 1 – Cover Letter Section 2 – RFP Amendments Section 3 – Scope of Work Strategy Section 4 – Experience and Qualifications Section 5 – Innovation & Impact (aligned to the Scope of Work – Attachment D and Success Criteria – Attachment E) Section 6 – Contract Provisions Section 7 – Open Records and Confidentiality

Cost Proposal – The Cost Proposal must be in a separate document. Format the Cost Proposal following the RFP instructions in Section 4.

4.4. Technical Proposal

Section 1 – Cover Letter. Proposals shall include a cover letter that includes the following:

• The name of the Offeror, name of the person to contact regarding the proposal, email address, telephone number, and mailing address.

• Offerors are instructed to review the “Conflict of Interest” provisions in RFP Section 1 “Instructions.” If the firm, its employees or subcontractors working on the contract have an apparent or actual conflict of interest, provide a statement disclosing the circumstances of the apparent or actual conflict of interest. Otherwise, provide a statement that your firm, employees and subcontractors do not have a conflict of interest.

• The cover letter must be signed by an individual with authority to bind the Offeror. By signing the cover letter, an Offeror certifies that it complies with:

o All the requirements, terms and conditions as set forth in this RFP.

o The requirement that the Offeror’s proposal accurately describes the goods and services being offered to

VCSU, and the proposal will be held firm for the period specified.

o All local, state, and federal laws, rules, laws, rules, code, regulation, and policies, including those relating to nondiscrimination, accessibility, civil rights, and equal employment.

o The requirement that this proposal was prepared independently without collusion.

Section 2 – RFP Amendments. Provide signed copies of all Solicitation Amendments issued by VCSU that were required to be acknowledged by Offerors.

Section 3 – Scope of Work Strategy. Offeror must review the requirements and deliverables provided in RFP Section 3, Scope of Work.

• Applicable Directives. The Offeror must identify any state and federal requirements that apply to the contract.

• Strategy for Scope of Work Requirements. The Offeror must provide narrative statements to demonstrate their understanding of the scope of work requirements. Explain the proposed strategy to accomplish the scope of work, meet all requirements, and provide the deliverables described in the scope of work within VCSU’s project schedule.

• Proposed Schedule and Deliverables. The proposal must provide a timeline for accomplishing the work, in consideration of the VCSU’s Contract Schedule within the RFP Scope of Work.

• Location of Work. The proposal must respond to VCSU’s Location of Work instructions within the RPF Scope of Work. Describe where the work will be performed and any proposed travel.

• Risk Management. Offerors must describe measures to be taken to ensure the safety of their employees, state employees, the public, and property. Offerors must also identify any pertinent issues and potential problems related to the project and describe how those potential issues and problems could be mitigated.

Section 4 – Experience and Qualifications.

• Mandatory Requirements. An Offeror must provide information to demonstrate meeting the Offeror Experience and Qualifications Requirement in RFP Section 3, Scope of Work, Experience and Qualifications.

• Experience and Qualifications of the Firm. Provide a brief history and describe the organization of the firm.

Describe the number of years the Offeror has provided the type of work requested in this RFP. Describe specific experience of their firm in completing similar projects. Provide a description of the project, approximate time frame of the project, and contact information for the customer. Offerors may provide letters of reference from customers.

• Experience and Qualifications of the Project Team. Provide a narrative or organizational chart that describes the organization of the proposed project team. Provide information for key project team members, including:

o Description of anticipated work they will perform and approximate estimated hours.

o Subcontractors. If an Offeror intends to use subcontractors, the Offeror must identify in the proposal the names of the subcontractors and the portions of the work the subcontractors will perform. Provide a statement that the Offeror will ensure that the subcontractor has or will obtain any required licenses and registrations, including registration with the North Dakota Secretary of State; and o Joint Venture. If submitting a proposal as a joint venture, provide narrative statements that describe the roles and responsibilities of each party to the joint vendor. If available, submit a copy of the joint venture agreement that identifies the parties involved and its rights and responsibilities.

• References. Provide three (3) reference letters from clients for whom similar work was completed. The reference letter must include the name of a contact person, address, email, and telephone number. VCSU may contact references provided for verification and to obtain additional information. Evaluation may be impacted if VCSU is unable to contact the reference or the reference does not provide the requested information timely.

Section 5 – Innovation and Impact. Provide a general statement of customer service and ability to respond to requests, site visits, and emergencies.

Section 6 – Contract Provisions. Offeror shall review the RFP Section 6 and VCSU’s Contract – Attachment A.

The proposal must include indicate whether the Offeror accepts the terms and conditions in VCSU’s Contract.

An Offeror may state that they accept VCSU’s Contract as written.

An Offeror may state any objections or propose changes or additions to VCSU’s Contract. Describe the changes to the Contract being proposed or provide a red line of VCSU’s Contract. Offerors are not to submit their own contract or standard terms and conditions with their proposals. Offeror should address the specific language in the attached contract and submit any proposed changes.

North Dakota procurement statutes, rules, and policies allow some negotiation of the terms and conditions. No changes to the terms and conditions will be permitted without prior written approval from VCSU.

Section 7 – Open Records and Confidentiality. All proposals and other material submitted become the property of the State and may be returned only at the State’s option. The State of North Dakota has broad open records laws. Proposals received are exempt from open record requirements until an award is made, in accordance with N.D.C.C. § 54-44.4-10(2).

After award, proposals are subject to the North Dakota open records laws. Proposals or portions of proposals may be confidential only if specifically stated in law.

http://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t32c12-2.pdf?20131002103938

Offerors are instructed not to mark their entire proposal as “confidential.”

Offerors must provide one of the following in their proposal:

• Provide a statement indicating that their proposal does not contain any confidential information, OR

• Make a written request to hold confidential any trade secrets and other proprietary data contained in its proposal.

Offeror must clearly identify the material considered confidential and explain why the material is confidential. See the North Dakota Office of the Attorney General website for additional information.

https://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t44c04.pdf and https://attorneygeneral.nd.gov/open-records-meetings

If VCSU receives a request for public information, the Procurement Officer, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, shall determine whether the information is an exception to the North Dakota open records laws, and the information shall be processed accordingly.

4.5. Cost Proposal.

Cost Proposals must provide the total proposed cost for completing the requirements of this RFP. Include a detailed itemization of the cost proposal (e.g. breakdown of the project costs, direct and indirect expenses, total number of hours at various hourly rates, overhead, travel, etc.).

All costs must be stated in U.S. currency. Any commodities being imported must be identified, and the price must include any appliable shipping and handling, customs, brokerage agency fees, and duties.

Offer should describe any discount terms for prompt payment. Discounts for prompt payment will not be considered in evaluating costs.

https://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t44c04.pdf http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-05.pdf

Section 5 – Award and Proposal Evaluation

5.1. Award.

VCSU intends to award contracts to multiple offerors, pursuant to N.D.A.C. § 4-12-11-07. VCSU will make award to the highest scoring offerors whose proposals are determined to be responsive to the requirements of the solicitation and are determined to be most advantageous in consideration the RFP evaluation criteria. Multiple contracts may be awarded based on the proposals submitted and resulting awards may have a primary and secondary contractor within the VCSU Intermediary contract categories.

5.2. Responsiveness.

All proposals will be evaluated to determine if they are responsive to the requirements of the solicitation. VCSU reserves the right to waive minor informalities in accordance with N.D.A.C. chapter 4-12-10. Minor informalities are insignificant omissions or nonjudgmental mistakes that are matters of form rather than substance, evident from RFP document, with a negligible effect on price, quantity, quality, delivery, or contractual conditions that can be waived or corrected without prejudice to other Offerors. Responsive proposals will be evaluated by the Procurement Officer or evaluation committee using the evaluation criteria stated in the RFP.

5.3. Responsibility – Supplementary Investigation.

VCSU reserves the right to contact references, other customers, including state and local government agencies, regarding past experience with the Offeror. Prior experience of the state agency or institution with any prospective Offeror may also be taken into consideration during evaluation.

VCSU may, at any time, may make a supplementary investigation as to the responsibility of any Offeror in accordance with N.D.A.C. § 4-12-11-04. This investigation may include, but is not limited to, financial responsibility, capacity to produce, sources of supply, performance record, or other matters related to the Offeror’s probable ability to deliver if a contract is awarded to the Offeror. If it is determined that an Offeror appears not to be sufficiently responsible, the proposal will be rejected.

5.4. Evaluation Criteria.

Proposals will be evaluated using a 100-point scale. The evaluation committee will award points based on the questions in the Technical Proposal Evaluation Worksheet – Attachment B. The Technical Proposal evaluation score and Cost Proposal evaluation score will be added together to determine the total evaluation score. After the initial evaluation, the evaluation committee may determine which proposals are reasonably susceptible for award and continue the evaluation process with only those Offerors. Offerors whose proposals are not selected for further evaluation may request a debrief from the Procurement Officer after an award notice is issued. The final evaluation score will consider information received by VCSU, including but not limited to, discussions with Offerors, demonstrations, presentations, site visits, reference checks, and best and final offers.

The evaluation criteria and relative weight is as follows:

• Technical Proposal Evaluation: 80 points o Scope of Work Strategy – 40 points o Experience and Qualifications – 20 points o Innovation and Impact – 20 points

• Cost Proposal Evaluation: 20 points o Cost proposal for scope of work.

5.5. Cost Proposal Evaluation

VCSU will calculate evaluation points awarded to Cost Proposals. Any prompt payment discount terms proposed by the Offeror will not be considered in evaluating cost.

The reciprocal preference law, N.D.C.C. § 44-08-01, was repealed effective August 1, 2023. NDUS will apply all North Dakota preference laws as applicable. For more information, refer to the Guidelines to North Dakota Purchasing Preference Laws.

The cost amount used for evaluation may also be affected by the application of other costs required to implement the proposed solution to determine the total cost of the solution.

The cost proposal with the lowest cost will receive the maximum number of points allocated to cost. Points awarded to other http://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t54c44-4.pdf?20140205121248 http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-10.pdf?20130430132759 mailto:jessica.gortmaker@vcsu.edu?20140130152917 https://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t44c08.pdf cost proposals will be calculated as follows:

Price of Lowest Cost Proposal X Total Points for Cost Available = Points Price of Proposal Being Rated

5.6. Clarifications of Proposals – Discussions.

To determine if a proposal is reasonably susceptible for award, communications by the Procurement Officer or evaluation committee are permitted with an Offeror to clarify uncertainties or eliminate confusion concerning the contents of a proposal and determine responsiveness to the RFP requirements. Discussions will be limited to the specific section of the RFP or proposal indicated by VCSU. Discussions are generally conducted by telephone or internet-based conference.

In conducting discussions, there may be no disclosure of any information derived from proposals submitted by competing Offerors. Clarifications may not result in material or substantive change to the proposals. Evaluation scores may be adjusted based in consideration of information obtained through discussions.

5.7. Right of Rejection.

VCSU reserves the right to reject any proposals, in whole or in part. Proposals received from suspended or debarred bidders will be rejected. Proposals determined to be nonresponsive to the requirements of the RFP will be rejected. VCSU reserves the right to reject the proposal of an Offeror determined to be not responsible. VCSU reserves the right to refrain from making an award if determined to be in its best interest.

5.8. Presentations, Demonstrations, and Site Visits.

After the initial evaluation, VCSU shall determine which proposals are reasonably susceptible for award. The evaluation process may be short listed to top scoring offerors who will be required to provide a presentation or demonstration for the evaluation committee.

VCSU will contact offerors to confirm the schedule and provide a description of what VCSU will expect offerors to present as well as the amount of time allowed. Offerors shall be responsible for all associated costs, including any travel and per diem.

Offerors shall be required to demonstrate some of the core functionality of their solution using only a keyboard and screen reader application.

If VCSU decides to have presentations, they will be scheduled for the week of October 20th.

5.9. Best and Final Offers.

VCSU is not obligated to request best and final offers; therefore, Offerors should submit their best terms (technical and cost) in response to this RFP.

If VCSU determines there is a need for any additional information, substantial clarification or changes to the RFP or proposals, VCSU may request for best and final offers from Offerors that have submitted proposals determined to be reasonably susceptible for award. The best and final offer request will describe the additional information, clarification, or change being requested.

A date and time will be established for receipt of revised proposals. If an Offeror does not submit a best and final offer, VCSU shall consider its original proposal as its best and final offer. Best and final offers will be evaluated using the evaluation criteria stated in the RFP. VCSU may request more than one Best and Final Offer.

In the event, N.D.C.C. § 54-44.4-05.1 requires in the event that two or more proposals contain identical pricing or receive identical evaluation scores, preference must be given to a resident North Dakota bidder, seller, vendor, offeror, or contractor as defined in N.D.C.C. § 44-08-02. In the event the tie is not resolved by application of this law, N.D.A.C. § 4-12-11-05 will be applied.

5.10. Negotiations.

Contract negotiations will be conducted in accordance with N.D.A.C. § 4-12-12. VCSU may enter negotiations with one or more Offeror whose proposals received the highest scores and are reasonably susceptible for award. During negotiations, https://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t12-1c13.html https://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t12-1c13.html https://www.ndlegis.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-11.pdf https://www.ndlegis.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-11.pdf https://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/html/4-12.html

Questions about this form? Please call 701-845-7710

VCSU and Offeror may agree to alter or otherwise change the terms and conditions and price of the proposed contract.

Negotiation, if held, will be within the scope of the RFP and limited to those items that would not have an effect on the ranking of proposals.

Each Offeror will be responsible for all costs it incurs as a result of negotiations, including any travel and per diem expenses.

Contract negotiations will be conducted primarily by email, conference calls, or internet-based conference. Any on-site negotiation, if needed, will be held in Valley City, North Dakota.

VCSU may terminate negotiations, reject a proposal as nonresponsive, and continue or commence negotiations with other Offerors reasonably susceptible for award, if the Offeror:

• fails to provide necessary information for negotiation in a timely manner,

• fails to negotiate in good faith,

• is unable to successfully negotiate contract terms that are acceptable to VCSU, or

• indicates that it cannot perform the contract within the budgeted funds.

5.11. Notice of Intent to Award.

After proposals have been evaluated and the successful Offeror selected, notice of intent to award will be promptly issued to all Offerors that submitted proposals. Upon issuance of this notice, the procurement file becomes an open record.