REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

EVENT NO.: RFP0000023

EVENT TITLE: SHELTER MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

ISSUED BY MIAMI-DADE COUNTY:

Strategic Procurement Department

(Through the Expedited Purchasing Program) for

Animal Services Department

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY CONTACT FOR THIS SOLICITATION:

Delvin Padilla, Procurement Contracting Officer

111 NW 1st Street, Suite 1300 Miami, Florida 33128

E-mail: delvin.padilla@miamidade.gov

PROPOSALS DUE:

Please refer to the INFORMS event for date and time

IT IS THE POLICY OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY (COUNTY) THAT ALL ELECTED AND APPOINTED COUNTY OFFICIALS AND COUNTY EMPLOYEES SHALL ADHERE TO THE PUBLIC SERVICE HONOR CODE (HONOR CODE). THE HONOR CODE

CONSISTS OF MINIMUM STANDARDS REGARDING THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF ALL PUBLIC SERVANTS IN THE COUNTY.

VIOLATION OF ANY OF THE MANDATORY STANDARDS MAY RESULT IN ENFORCEMENT ACTION.

(SEE IMPLEMENTING ORDER 7-7)

Electronic Proposal responses to this RFP are to be submitted through a secure mailbox at Integrated Financial Resources Management System (INFORMS) until the date and time as indicated in this document. It is the sole responsibility of the Proposer to ensure its Proposal reaches INFORMS before the Solicitation closing date and time. There is no cost to the Proposer to submit a Proposal in response to a Miami-Dade County Solicitation via INFORMS. Electronic Proposal submissions may require the uploading of electronic attachments. The submission of attachments containing embedded documents or proprietary file extensions is prohibited. All documents should be attached as separate files. Proposers must allow sufficient time to complete online forms and upload all Proposal documents. All information and documents must be fully entered, uploaded, acknowledged (“Confirm”) and recorded into INFORMS before the date and time of the INFORMS Solicitation End Date, or the system will stop the process, and the submission will be considered late and will not be accepted. No part of a Proposal can be submitted via hard copy, email, or fax. All expenses involved with the preparation and submission of Proposals to the County, or any work performed in connection therewith, shall be borne by the Proposer(s).

A Proposer may submit a modified Proposal to replace all or any portion of a previously submitted Proposal up until the Proposal due date. The County will only consider the latest version of the Proposal.

Requests for additional information or inquiries must be made in writing and submitted using the question/answer feature provided by INFORMS at https://supplier.miamidade.gov. The County will issue responses to inquiries and any changes to this Solicitation it deems necessary via written addenda issued prior to the Proposal due date and time (see Mandatory Online Forms and Addendum Acknowledgement Section of INFORMS site). Proposers who obtain copies of this Solicitation from sources other than through INFORMS risk the possibility of not receiving addenda and are solely responsible for those risks.

If you submit your proposal and subsequently an Addendum is issued, failure to resubmit the proposal by clicking on the “Submit Proposal” button, after acknowledging Addenda or making any edits to your proposal in INFORMS, will result in your proposal not being received by the County.

mailto:Natalya.Vasilyeva@miamidade.gov https://supplier.miamidade.gov/

Miami-Dade County, FL Event No. RFP0000023

Rev. 7.21.2025 Page 2 of 19

1.0 PROJECT OVERVIEW AND GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1.1 Introduction

Miami-Dade County, hereinafter referred to as the County, as represented by the Miami-Dade County Animal Services Department (ASD), is soliciting Proposals for a Shelter Management software solution (Solution) inclusive of all software licensing, implementation, integration, configuration, data conversion, training, maintenance, and support services.

The County anticipates awarding a contract for a single contract for a five-year term, with one five-year option to renew.

The anticipated schedule for this Solicitation is as follows:

Deadline for Receipt of Questions: Please refer to the INFORMS Event for more information Proposal Due Date: Please refer to the INFORMS Event for more information Evaluation Process: August 2026 Projected Award Date: October 2026

1.2 Definitions

The following words and expressions used in this Solicitation shall be construed as follows, except when it is clear from the context that another meaning is intended:

1. The words “Review Team” mean the group of individuals who are tasked with reviewing, evaluating, and scoring the Proposals submitted in response to this RFP.

2. The word “Contractor” means the Proposer that receives any award of a contract from the County as a result of this Solicitation, also to be known as “the prime Contractor”.

3. The word “County” means Miami-Dade County, a political subdivision of the State of Florida.

4. The words “General Data Protection Regulation” (GDPR) mean regulation (EU) 2016/679, a data protection and privacy law governing the collection, processing, storage, and transfer of personal data of individuals. GDPR establishes requirements for lawful data processing, security safeguards, transparency, individual rights, and organizational accountability, and applies to any entity that processes personal data of residents regardless of the entity’s geographic location.

5. The words “Go-Live” mean the point in time at which the Shelter Management Solution is formally launched and made available for operational use by the County. Go-Live occurs after the selected Proposer has successfully completed all required implementation activities, including configuration, data migration, integration, testing, user acceptance, training, and any other prerequisites defined in section 2.0 Scope of Services.

6. The words “Joint Venture” mean an association of two or more persons, partnerships, corporations, or other business entities under a contractual agreement to conduct a specific business enterprise for a specified period with both sharing profits and losses. The Joint Venture must be a legally formed entity prior to Proposal submission.

7. The words "Licensed Software" mean the software component(s) provided pursuant to the Contract.

8. The words “Pet Retention” mean ASD support program designed to help per owners keep their animals in their homes by addressing financial, medical, behavioral or temporary housing challenges that might otherwise lead to surrender.

9. The words “Produced in the United States” mean, with respect to Cybersecurity Products, a product for which all development and production occurs in the United States.

10. The word “Proposal” means the properly signed and completed written good faith commitment submitted by the Proposer in response to this Solicitation, as amended or modified through negotiations.

Rev. 7.21.2025 Page 3 of 19

11. The word “Proposer” means the person, firm, entity or organization, as stated on the Submittal Form, submitting a Proposal to this Solicitation.

12. The words “Reliability Period” mean the ninety (90) Day period after Go-Live.

13. The word “Responsible Proposer” shall refer to a Proposer that has the capability in all respects to fully perform the contract requirements and the integrity and reliability that will assure good faith performance.

14. The words “Responsive Proposer” shall refer to a Proposer that has submitted a Proposal that conforms in all material aspects to the Solicitation.

15. The words “Scope of Services” mean Section 2.0 of this Solicitation, which details the work to be performed by the Contractor.

16. The word “Solicitation” means this Request for Proposals (RFP) or Request for Qualifications (RFQ) document, and all associated addenda and attachments.

17. The word “Solution” or “Shelter Management Solution” means software, licenses, implementation, integration, data conversion, training, information and technologies to support the business and technical capabilities required by ASD as detailed in the section

2.0. Scope of Services.

18. The word “Subcontractor” means any person, firm, entity or organization, other than the employees of the Contractor, who contracts with the Contractor to furnish labor, or labor and materials, in connection with the Services to the County, whether directly or indirectly, on behalf of the Contractor.

19. The words “Work”, “Services”, “Program”, or “Project” mean all matters and things that will be required to be done by the Contractor in accordance with the Scope of Services, and the terms and conditions of this Solicitation.

1.3 General Proposal Information

Pursuant to Florida Statutes Section 287.05701, Proposers are hereby notified that the County will not request documentation of, or consider, the social, ideological or political interests of a Proposer when determining if a Proposer is a responsible vendor nor will the County give preference to a Proposer based on the Proposer’s social, ideological or political interests.

The County may, at its sole and absolute discretion, reject any and all or parts of any or all Proposals; accept parts of any and all Proposals; further negotiate project elements including but not limited to project fees, revenues or pricing; postpone or cancel at any time this Solicitation process; or waive any irregularities in this Solicitation or in the Proposals received as a result of this process. In the event that a Proposer wishes to take an exception to any of the terms of this Solicitation, the Proposer shall clearly indicate the exception in its Proposal. The County shall treat the Proposer's inclusion of exceptions, assumptions or alternate terms in the Proposal as requests to negotiate project elements, and the inclusion of same shall not result in the Proposal being deemed non-responsive. The County is not bound to accept any exceptions, assumptions or alternates during negotiations, and the County shall consider a Proposal submitted to be an offer to supply goods or services in strict compliance with the terms of this Solicitation. Exceptions, assumptions or alternates may be considered by the County during negotiations to the extent such exceptions, assumptions or alternates do not materially change any provision of the Solicitation. The County reserves the right to request and evaluate additional information from any Proposer regarding Proposer’s responsibility after the submission deadline as the County deems necessary.

The Proposal will be considered a good faith commitment by the Proposer to negotiate a contract with the County, in substantially similar terms to the Proposal offered and, if successful in the process set forth in this Solicitation and subject to its conditions, to enter into a Contract substantially in the terms herein. Proposer’s Proposal shall be irrevocable until Contract award unless the Proposal is withdrawn.

A Proposal may be withdrawn in writing only, addressed to the County contact person for this Solicitation, prior to the Proposal due date and time, or upon the expiration of one hundred eighty (180) calendar days after the opening of Proposals.

As further detailed in the Submittal Form, Proposers are hereby notified that all information submitted as part of, or in support of Proposals will be available for public inspection after opening of Proposals, in compliance with Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, (the "Public Record Law”).

Rev. 7.21.2025 Page 4 of 19

Any Proposer who, at the time of Proposal submission, is involved in an ongoing bankruptcy as a debtor, or in a reorganization, liquidation, or dissolution proceeding, or if a trustee or receiver has been appointed over all or a substantial portion of the property of the Proposer under federal bankruptcy law or any state insolvency law, may be found non-responsible.

To request a copy of any code section, resolution and/or administrative/implementing order cited in this Solicitation, contact the Clerk of the Board at (305) 375-5126, Monday- Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

1.4 Cone of Silence

Pursuant to Section 2-11.1(t) of the Code of Miami-Dade County, as amended (the “Code”), a “Cone of Silence” is imposed upon each RFP or RFQ after advertisement and terminates at the time a written recommendation is issued. The Cone of Silence prohibits any communication regarding RFPs or RFQs between, among others:

▪ potential Proposers, service providers, lobbyists or consultants and the County’s professional staff including, but not limited to, the County Mayor and the County Mayor’s staff, County Commissioners or their respective staffs;

▪ the County Commissioners or their respective staffs and any member of the County's professional staff, other than any professional staff member who is designated by the County Mayor to engage in such communications; or

▪ potential Proposers, service providers, lobbyists or consultants, any member of the County’s professional staff, the Mayor, County Commissioners or their respective staffs and any member of the respective Competitive Selection Committee.

The provisions do not apply to, among other communications:

▪ oral communications with the staff of the Vendor Outreach and Support Services Section, the responsible Procurement Contracting Officer (designated as the County’s contact on the face of the Solicitation), provided the communication is limited strictly to matters of process or procedure already contained in the Solicitation document;

▪ oral communications at oral presentations to Competitive Selection Committees during any duly noticed public meeting, public presentations made to the Board of County Commissioners (the “Board”) during any duly noticed public meeting;

▪ recorded contract negotiations and contract negotiation strategy sessions; or

▪ communications in writing at any time with any County employee, official or member of the Board of County Commissioners unless specifically prohibited by the applicable RFP or RFQ documents.

When the Cone of Silence is in effect, all potential vendors, service providers, bidders, lobbyists and consultants shall file a copy of any written correspondence concerning the particular RFP or RFQ with the Clerk of the Board, which shall be made available to any person upon request. The County shall respond in writing (if County deems a response is necessary) and file a copy with the Clerk of the Board, which shall be made available to any person upon request. Written communications may be in the form of e-mail, with a copy to the Clerk of the Board at clerkbcc@miamidade.gov.

All requirements of the Cone of Silence policies are applicable to this Solicitation and must be adhered to. Any and all written communications regarding the Solicitation are to be submitted only to the Procurement Contracting Officer with a copy to the Clerk of the Board. The Proposer shall file a copy of any written communication with the Clerk of the Board. The Clerk of the Board shall make copies available to any person upon request.

1.5 Communication with Review Team Members

Proposers are hereby notified that direct communication regarding this Solicitation, written or otherwise, to individual Review Team Members or to the Review Team as a whole, is expressly prohibited. Any oral communication with Review Team Members, other than as provided in Section 2-11.1 of the Code, is prohibited.

1.6 Public Entity Crimes

Pursuant to Paragraph 2(a) of Section 287.133 of the Florida Statutes, a person or affiliate who has been placed on the convicted vendor list following a conviction for a public entity crime may not submit a Proposal for a contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity; may not submit a Proposal on a contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work; may not submit Proposals on leases of real property to a public entity; may not be awarded or perform work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or consultant under a contract with any public entity; and, may not transact business with any public entity in excess of the threshold amount provided in Section 287.017 of the Florida Statutes for Category Two for a period of thirty-six (36) months from the date of being placed on the convicted vendor list.

mailto:clerkbcc@miamidade.gov

Rev. 7.21.2025 Page 5 of 19

1.7 Lobbyist Contingency Fees

a) In accordance with Section 2-11.1(s) of the Code, after May 16, 2003, no person may, in whole or in part, pay, give or agree to pay or give a contingency fee to another person. No person may, in whole or in part, receive or agree to receive a contingency fee.

b) A contingency fee is a fee, bonus, commission or non-monetary benefit as compensation which is dependent on or in any way contingent upon the passage, defeat, or modification of: 1) any ordinance, resolution, action or decision of the County Commission;

2) any action, decision or recommendation of the County Mayor or any County board or committee; or 3) any action, decision or recommendation of any County personnel during the time period of the entire decision-making process regarding such action, decision or recommendation which foreseeably will be heard or reviewed by the County Commission or a County board or committee.

1.8 Collusion

In accordance with Section 2-8.1.1 of the Code, where two (2) or more related parties, as defined herein, each submit a Proposal for any contract, such Proposals shall be presumed to be collusive. The foregoing presumption may be rebutted by the presentation of evidence as to the extent of ownership, control and management of such related parties in preparation and submittal of such Proposals. Related parties shall mean Proposer, the principals, corporate officers, and managers of the Proposer; or the spouse, domestic partner, parents, stepparents, siblings, children or stepchildren of a Proposer or the principals, corporate officers and managers thereof which have a direct or indirect ownership interest in another Proposer for the same contract or in which a parent company or the principals thereof of one Proposer have a direct or indirect ownership in another Proposer for the same contract. Proposals found to be collusive shall be rejected. Proposers who have been found to have engaged in collusion may be considered non-responsible, and may be suspended or debarred, and any contract resulting from collusive bidding may be terminated for default.

1.9 Contracting with Entities of Foreign Countries of Concern Prohibited By submitting a proposal or otherwise entering into, a contract under this Solicitation, the Proposer affirms that it is not in violation of Section 287.138, Florida Statutes (F.S.) titled Contracting with Entities of Foreign Countries of Concern Prohibited. Proposer further affirms that it is not giving a government of a foreign country of concern, as listed in Section 287.138, F.S., access to an individual’s personal identifying information if: a) the Proposer is owned by a government of a foreign country of concern; b) the government of a foreign country of concern has a controlling interest in the Proposer; or c) the Proposer is organized under the laws of or has its principal place of business in a foreign country of concern as is set forth in Paragraphs 2(a)–(c) of Section 287.138, F.S.

This affirmation by the Proposer shall be in the form attached to this Solicitation as Contracting with Entities of Foreign Countries of Concern Prohibited Affidavit.

1.10 Expedited Purchasing Program

Pursuant to Section 2-8.1.6 of the Code, the County created the Expedited Purchasing Program (EPP). Due to the expedited nature of County projects issued under the EPP, prospective Proposers should anticipate a shortened Solicitation timeline for submission of Proposals. Technical, professional and legal staff may be used to determine best value as set forth in the Solicitation documents without the need to utilize the formal Competitive Selection Committee process established by the County. The County Mayor’s or designee’s written recommendation to award a contract under the EPP shall be sufficient to commence the bid protest period and terminate the Cone of Silence. Any legislation contrary to the provisions of the EPP shall be deemed suspended or amended as necessary to give effect to the intent of this Program.

1.11 Kidnapping, Custody Offenses, Human Trafficking and Related Offenses Affidavit By entering into, amending, or renewing a contract under this Solicitation, the Proposer affirms that it does not use coercion for labor or services and complies with the provisions of Section 787.06, Florida Statutes (“F.S.”), “Human Trafficking. This attestation by the Proposer shall be in the form attached to this Solicitation as the Kidnapping, Custody Offenses, Human Trafficking and Related Offenses Affidavit.

Rev. 7.21.2025 Page 6 of 19

2.0 SCOPE OF SERVICES

2.1 Background

Miami-Dade County Animal Services Department (ASD) is responsible for enforcing the provisions of Chapter 5 of the Miami-Dade County Code, which govern the licensing, vaccination, and humane care of animals within the County. The department operates an open-admission shelter that provides temporary housing and care for animals received through surrender, impoundment, cruelty investigations, and lost-and-found cases. While animals are housed at the shelter, ASD provides all necessary veterinary, behavioral, and rehabilitation services to prepare them for permanent placement. Once animals meet County health and behavioral protocols, ASD facilitates adoptions directly to new owners or through rescue and foster partners until a permanent home is secured. ASD processes the intake of approximately 50 to 100 animals per day, average of 800 pets per month and re-homing or transferring between 180 and 250 animals monthly through various community programs. These programs include Pet Retention, which assists owners in keeping their pets; Trap- Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNVR) for community cats and similar sterilization and vaccination efforts for other species as appropriate.

To promote community health and compliance, ASD directly administers spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations, and rabies-tag sales to pet owners and partnering veterinary clinics. These services help manage overpopulation, prevent illegal breeding, and reduce animal cruelty. ASD also provides microchipping services for pet identification and recovery. Microchips are implanted and registered by ASD staff and serve as a primary tool for reuniting lost pets with their owners. In addition, ASD traps, sterilizes, and releases community cats to control overpopulation, prevent mating behaviors, and reduce kitten births. ASD traps and releases approximately 1000 community cats per month and is looking to grow this program through the use of the tracking capabilities within the software solution.

ASD administer, track, monitor, financial accounting of license tags for community pets. ASD partners with community veterinary clinics and provides them supply of tags for sale to community pet owners. This process furthers the community reach for vaccinations, and license tags. Tags are processed, monitored, and tracked through an existing Shelter Management system.

2.2 Objective

The purpose of this solicitation is to acquire a comprehensive Shelter Management Solution to support the operations of the Miami-Dade County Animal Services Department. The County seeks a Solution capable of meeting ASD’s current operational volumes and business process requirements. Given the critical nature of the services provided, the selected Proposer must ensure a seamless transition from the existing system to the new Solution without disruption to daily operations.

2.3 Application and Processes

ASD currently utilizes Chameleon software to manage shelter operations. The existing system supports daily intake, medical treatment, adoption, and social program functions but requires modernization to incorporate expanded online payment and reporting capabilities.

2.3.1. Software Management (minimum capacity levels)

• Average intake of 100 animals daily

• Average of over 100 medical treatments daily

• Average of over 300 animals in care daily

• Average outcome of 100 animals daily including adoptions, medical releases, transfers to social programs, and rescues Note: These figures represent the baseline performance capacity required for any new proposed software solution.

2.3.2 Customizations

The existing Chameleon system has been customized to align with ASD’s operational and reporting needs. Current customizations include the following:

A. Payment Interfaces Note: Please refer to Articles 45 and 46 of the Draft Agreement for specific PCI compliance requirements.

• One way communication with Inovah Cash Management interface for in-person transaction

• Online payment Integration

➢ The selected Proposer’s application shall interface directly with Miami-Dade County’s payment gateway using a plain HTTPS/XML interface.

➢ The County will provide XML schemas for standard services including web payment processing, voids, and refunds.

Rev. 7.21.2025 Page 7 of 19

➢ The schemas and XML samples will be shared with the selected Proposer, along with necessary URLs and documentation detailing fields and response error codes. All services will return a standardized XML receipt.

➢ This integration requires the selected Proposer’s application to be hosted on premises within Miami-Dade County’s network, as the Payment Gateway is not accessible via the public internet.

B. System Configuration

Customization of search fields, and process fields to ASD business process

C. Reporting

• Over 50 Automated Reports and over 100+ ad hoc reports, including but not limited to:

➢ Adoptions per week

➢ Average time an animal stays at the shelter

➢ Counter performance: items sold per employee, licenses, tags, leashes, vaccines

➢ Tag status: capturing errors with user tags, duplicate tags.

D. Contract and Program Management

• Custom contract agreements within application for program needs, Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNVR), Pet Retention, Supporting Urgent Needs (SUN) Program. These are social programs ASD provides to citizens for retaining animals, assistance with medical care, and rescues that partner with ASD to care for and adopt animals.

E. System Interfaces

• Integration with County call center (311)

• Interfaces with third-party platforms such as Found Animal and Petco Love Lost

• Support for multiple lifesaving workflows, including TNVR, Rescue, Adoption, and Foster, etc.

2.3.3 Online Payment for Licensing Tags

The selected Proposer’s Solution shall include integrated online payment functionality designed to improve citizen access and enhance operational efficiency. At minimum, the online payment functionality shall provide the following capabilities:

A. Online Platform Development

• The selected Proposer shall develop and implement a secure online portal allowing citizens to renew pet license tags using credit and debit card payments.

• The software Solution shall comply with PCI-DSS standards and County IT security protocols.

B. Database Integration

• The software Solution shall establish a direct connection to the existing shelter software database to eliminate data entry errors that could result in inaccurate citations.

• The selected Proposer shall enable real-time data validation to prevent duplication and ensure data consistency.

C. Customizable Search and Process Fields

• The proposed software shall allow ASD to customize search and processing fields for analytical and operational review.

• The proposed software shall support multiple criteria including animal type, age, size, breed, owner address, altered/un-altered status, and vaccination documentation.

D. Transaction Logic

• The proposed software solution shall detect whether a request is for a new license or a renewal.

• Apply appropriate transaction codes and assess late fees automatically for overdue renewals.

E. Secure Data Transmission

• The proposed software solution shall encrypt and transmit licensing data to the department’s database daily.

Rev. 7.21.2025 Page 8 of 19

• The proposed software solution shall ensure compliance with County cybersecurity and data retention policies.

F. Reporting and Reconciliation

• The proposed software solution shall generate daily transaction summaries and detailed reports of all new and renewal license transactions.

• Establish a direct connection between the collected funds and the department’s designated bank account.

• Provide a reporting tool that generates daily transaction data for reconciliation and audit purposes.

2.4 Implementation

The current database has over 30 years of data regarding that would need to be extracted to make the information readily available in the new software Solution. This includes making an accessible database for at least ten key department staff members to extract information for public records requests. Such records request for pets being processed through the department shall be kept for the life of the animal (LOA) and should be available through the development of this archive.

The secondary phase of implementation shall include the migration of historical departmental data into the new software Solution to ensure that all users have access to more than 20 years of transaction history. This data includes, but is not limited to, pet licensing, medical records, enforcement activities, accounts payable, animal intake, adoptions, and other operational records. To ensure a seamless and accurate data transition, the selected Proposer shall provide documentation demonstrating its capacity and proven experience in migrating data volumes of similar size, complexity, and diversity. Such documentation may include examples of prior large-scale data migrations, methodologies, tools used, and the qualifications of personnel responsible for the migration effort. Each functional area, for example, pet intake contains a specific set of fields used to capture and manage essential program information. For successful migration, data fields in the outgoing system must align with, or be properly mapped to, corresponding fields in the proposed Solution’s database. Inconsistent or incompatible field structures can create substantial barriers to implementation and may impede accurate data conversion. The selected Proposer shall ensure that its proposed data migration approach fully accounts for field-level mapping, system compatibility, business process alignment, and the preservation of historical data integrity to support continuity of operations.

The tertiary implementation phase includes redeveloping the department’s tracking and reporting mechanisms, which capture all operational aspects which include intake and outcome of pets, clinical and surgical services, pet registration and licensing renewals, as core activities. The department’s business process includes the development and use of various reporting tools to track the progress and metric of each program. The availability of these reports is vital for department managers to ensure each program is reaching departmental goals in alignment with yearly metrics. To date, the department has worked on developing and customizing over 100 reports to provide data for both internal and external stakeholders. This includes the data that is shared with the community on the department’s progress on its newly implemented Save Charlie Act. Ensuring that ASD continues to provide accurate and transparent data to the community depends on the integrity of its data management and reporting systems. If a new database were implemented, ASD would need to recreate these reporting resources once again to establish a secure channel for the abovementioned reporting that is vital to its business process.

A. System Integration

The County prefers for the selected Proposer to complete initial installation and achieve initial go-live of the software solution within thirty (30) calendar days from the effective date of the resultant contract. The selected Proposer shall install, configure, and evaluate the software solution in the County’s designated environment and provide all criteria, testing procedures, and validation data necessary to confirm operational readiness.

The selected Proposer shall issue written notice to the County once the software solution is operational. The date of this written notice shall be defined as the “installation date.”

B. Software Documentation The selected Proposer shall furnish the County with the number of manuals and related printed materials, including updated versions, as designated by the County to support both production use and disaster recovery needs. The County will specify the required quantities and provide this information to the selected Proposer. Should additional copies of such documentation be needed, the selected Proposer shall supply them upon the County’s request. The selected Proposer further agrees that the County may reproduce these materials for its internal use in maintaining the equipment or software provided under this Agreement, at no additional cost.

https://www.miamidade.gov/govaction/matter.asp?file=true&fileAnalysis=false&matter=202405&yearFolder=Y2020

Rev. 7.21.2025 Page 9 of 19

C. Software Acceptance Testing Acceptance testing shall be required, as specified, for all software provided by the selected Proposer, including enhanced versions, new releases, and any software modified by the Proposer to meet County requirements. The purpose of the acceptance testing is to verify that the software operates in substantial accordance with the Proposer’s technical specifications and fully satisfies the County’s performance requirements.

2.5 Solution Functionality

The selected Proposer shall provide a software Solution that is able to accommodate the following requirements:

Software The system shall run on the latest version of MS Server as the operating system and utilize Structured Query Language (SQL) Server as the primary database management system; and the latest technology for the web server that is a minimum version of 2019 or greater.

Compliance and Regulatory Requirements The Solution shall adhere to General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for data protection. This includes encryption of sensitive data at rest and in transit, as well as robust access controls and audit trails.

Additionally, the solution shall comply with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS), if the solution processes, transmits, stores, or can impact the security of payment card data or the Cardholder Data Environment (CDE).

Note: Please refer to Articles 45 and 46 of the Draft Agreement for specific PCI compliance requirements.

Capacity The Solution shall be able to manage the full scope of ASD business processes with a pet population as large as 1,500 to include the following areas such as: shelter operations, pet intake, adoptions, humane animal enforcement (activities performed by trained personnel to enforce animal related laws and ensure the humane treatment, welfare, and safety of animals in a community), veterinary services, foster care, licensing, with the ability to manage and track additional shelter programming as needed, including but not limited to pet retention, managed intake, and the TNVR (trapping neutering vaccinating and returning) program. The software Solution shall have a secure pathway to work under the County’s network cloud system, not as a web-based application.

Reports The software Solution shall provide comprehensive reporting capabilities based on all data captured within the system and shall allow the creation of custom reports to support ASD’s operational needs. The selected Proposer shall make available all standard and ad hoc reports that are included with the Solution by default. The selected Proposer shall demonstrate prior experience delivering similar operational reporting capabilities for other agencies and shall leverage this experience to support report deployment at resultant contract agreement kick-off. The selected Proposer shall also provide ongoing support for the development of new or customized reports as required by ASD. The selected Proposer shall be capable of providing reporting support services five (5) days a week in order to meet the County’s operational needs.

Compatibility ASD requires the proposed Solution to include robust Application Programming Interface (API) capabilities to ensure seamless integration across multiple County enterprise systems. The Solution must support both inbound and outbound data exchange through standardized API protocols to enable data synchronization, automation, and reporting between systems. The integration environment must support, at a minimum, the following system interfaces:

• Enterprise Asset Management System (EAMS), or real-time inventory control, equipment maintenance tracking, and asset utilization.

• Inovah Cash Management System, for reconciliation of payments, refunds, and financial transaction records.

• INFORMS, for accounting, procurement, and financial reporting integration.

• 311 interface (CRM), for synchronization of service requests, enforcement actions, and complaint resolutions.

• Geographic Information System (GIS – EZRA), to support mapping

Rev. 7.21.2025 Page 10 of 19

The Solution shall be configurable and adaptable to ASD’s operational workflows while maintaining compliance with Miami- Dade County’s IT security, data governance, and interoperability standards. The preferred system architecture will allow ASD to leverage cross-platform data for trend analysis, enforcement case management, and strategic decision-making providing scalability for future enhancements and emerging technologies.

2.6 Technical Support

The selected Proposer shall have the capacity to provide around the clock support for the software Solution which includes an assigned liaison to handle the transition, integration, training and ongoing services. The selected Proposer shall provide technical support line available during regular business hours: Monday through Friday from 8:00AM to 5:00PM. The selected Proposer shall ensure that technical support requests can be submitted via email, telephone, or a designated online support portal. The County requires that all support tickets be logged, time-stamped, and tracked through resolution with escalation procedures in place as specified below:

Severity Definition Response

Time Resolution Time

Status Frequency

Update

1 = Critical

A major component of the Solution, whether or software, is in a non-responsive state and severely affects users’ productivity or operations. A high impact problem which affects the users.

15 minutes 1 hour 15 minutes

2 = Urgent

Any component failure or loss of functionality not covered in Severity 1, which is hindering operations, such as, but not limited to: excessively slow response time; functionality degradation; error messages; backup problems; or issues affecting the use of a module or the data.

1 Hour 4 hours 30 minutes

3 = Important Lesser issues, questions, or items that minimally impact the workflow or require a work- around.

4 hours 24 hours 4 hours

4 = Minor Issues, questions, or items that don’t impact the workflow. Issues that can easily be scheduled such as an upgrade or patch.

8 hours

72 hours for acceptable work around until final resolution

Weekly Status Call

2.7 Maintenance and Support

The Selected Proposer shall provide ongoing maintenance and support services for the animal shelter software solution. The selected Proposer shall provide the County at no additional cost other than the agreed-upon maintenance and support fees, any new version of the software Solution that is generally made available to all customers receiving maintenance services. New versions shall be provided with sufficient notice and in a manner that ensures uninterrupted County operations. Upon release of a new version, the selected Proposer shall support and maintain that version for the remainder of the resultant contract agreement term. If any new version includes optional modules or additional functionality that the County elects to implement, any associated fees will be mutually agreed upon in writing by both parties. The selected Proposer shall provide, at a minimum, the following maintenance services:

o Software: new versions Major releases that change or enhance the core of animal shelter software functionality, user interface, or system architecture.

All new versions made generally available to the Proposer’s customer base shall be provided to the County at no additional cost.

o Software: upgrades

Periodic updates that incorporate improvements, enhancements, and feature refinements based on feedback from multiple customers. All upgrades made generally available to the Proposer’s customer base are to be included in the maintenance services at no additional cost to the County.

o Software: diagnosis and issue resolution

Rev. 7.21.2025 Page 11 of 19

The selected Proposer shall investigate and diagnose all reported software issues, errors, or system malfunctions. Upon identifying the cause, the selected Proposer shall:

(a) Correct, repair, or remediate the issue at no additional cost to the County if the problem is determined to be due to a defect, bug, or malfunction in the Software; and

(b) If the issue is determined to result from user error, third-party systems, or network/environmental conditions outside the Proposer’s control, provide the County with a written diagnostic report detailing the cause of the issue and recommended steps for remediation through the County or the applicable third-party support provider.

2.8 Data Conversion

The County will work with the selected Proposer to perform the necessary data extraction and transformation activities required to prepare files, in a mutually agreed-upon format, for migration into the proposed Solution’s database. The selected Proposer shall be responsible for mapping all extracted and transformed data to the database structure of the proposed Solution and for performing the complete data loading process. Data migration shall include, but not be limited to, the transfer of all service numbers, devices, subscribers, financial transaction codes, locations, and charge codes associated with approximately 24,000 wired and 15,000 mobile devices. Migration shall also include cable devices and data circuits. The selected Proposer shall have an established, proven, and systematic data conversion methodology in place prior to project kickoff to ensure accuracy, continuity of operations, and minimal disruption to County services.

2.9 Training

Upon Solution deployment, the selected Proposer shall provide comprehensive on-site training for internal and external users, including but not limited to personnel in the following roles: finance, customer service representatives, technicians, and system administrators. In addition, the selected Proposer shall provide web-based training resources that are continuously accessible to all users for the duration of the resultant contract agreement. The anticipated annual training population is estimated to be between 200 and 300 users, and the selected Proposer shall provide an unlimited number of training licenses to ensure adequate access for all participants.

2.10 Audit

The County shall have the right to access all reports, records, documents, files, and personnel necessary to audit and verify the selected Proposer’s charges under the resultant contract agreement. The selected Proposer shall retain all financial and operational records related to the services and charges under the resultant contract agreement for a period of 10 years following the date of final payment.

The County reserves the right to conduct audits and verifications of the selected Proposer’s records prior to issuing final payment and at any time during the applicable record retention period.

2.11 Software Licensing

The selected Proposer shall provide the County with an unlimited software license for the proposed Solution. The license shall permit installation on County-designated server environments and allow access by an unrestricted number of client workstations, including onsite desktop units and wireless field service devices. The selected Proposer shall furnish all required perpetual software licenses necessary to support the number of users identified below. All licenses required to access or utilize any third-party software components integrated into the proposed Solution shall be included in the selected Proposer’s Proposal. The County will not procure or manage third-party software licenses separately. The estimated licensing requirements are as follows:

• Miami-Dade County Users (minimum estimated): 8,000 total Users o Approximately 5,500 power users o Approximately 2,500 inquiry-only users o Approximately 625 concurrent users (if the Proposer utilizes a concurrent-user licensing model)

The quantities listed above represent current estimates based on the existing operating environment and may be adjusted as the Solution is implemented and deployed across the County.

2.12 Information Security Requirements

The selected Proposer shall maintain compliance with all applicable National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 800-series security requirements, including implementation, monitoring, and documentation of the security controls necessary to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability of County data and systems. The selected Proposer shall continuously maintain these controls throughout the duration of the resultant contract agreement and shall provide evidence of compliance upon County request.

Rev. 7.21.2025 Page 12 of 19

2.13 Online Payment Integration / Direct Integration with Miami-Dade County Payment Gateway The selected Proposer’s application shall support direct integration with Miami-Dade County’s Payment Gateway using a plain HTTPS/XML interface. The County will provide the XML schemas for core payment services, including web payment processing, voids, and refunds. The County will also provide XML samples, endpoint URLs, and documentation describing required fields, data elements, and response/error codes. The selected Proposer shall ensure that all interactions with the County’s Payment Gateway conform to the provided schemas and specifications, and that all services generate a standardized XML receipt in accordance with County requirements.

Rev. 7.21.2025 Page 13 of 19

3.0 RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS

3.1 Submittal Requirements

In response to this Solicitation, Proposer should complete and return the entire Proposal Submission Package. Proposers should carefully follow the format and instructions outlined therein. All documents and information must be fully completed and signed as required and submitted in the manner described. Nothing in this RFP shall in any way be utilized to request documentation relating to or authorizing consideration of a Proposer's social, political, or ideological interests when determining if the Proposer is a responsible vendor or give a preference to a Proposer based on the Proposer's social, political, or ideological interests.

The Proposal shall be written in sufficient detail to permit the County to conduct a meaningful evaluation of the proposed services.

However, overly elaborate Proposals are not requested or desired. Proposal Submission Package shall include, but not be limited to:

• Proposer Information packet □

• Form 1 – Price Proposal Schedule □

• IT Security Matrix □

Proposers are encouraged to access the links below to assist with submission of responses to the Solicitation.

Recorded eSupplier Workshop https://www.miamidade.gov/global/news-item.page?Mduid_news=news1652724628268780 Password: q37%t+pG

Submit a Bid Job Aid https://www.miamidade.gov/technology/library/informs/job-aid/submit-a-bid.pdf https://www.miamidade.gov/global/news-item.page?Mduid_news=news1652724628268780 https://www.miamidade.gov/technology/library/informs/job-aid/submit-a-bid.pdf

Rev. 7.21.2025 Page 14 of 19

4.0 EVALUATION PROCESS

4.1 Review of Proposals for Responsiveness

Each Proposal will be reviewed to determine if the Proposal is responsive to the submission requirements outlined in this Solicitation. A responsive Proposal is one which follows the requirements of this Solicitation, includes all documentation, is submitted in the format outlined in this Solicitation, is of timely submission, and has the appropriate signatures as required on each document. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in the Proposal being deemed non-responsive.

4.2 Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated and ranked by the Review Team based on the criteria listed below. The Review Team will be comprised of executives and professionals within the County, and may include professionals in the private sector, non-profit sector, or other governmental/quasi-governmental organizations, or retired executives with the appropriate experience and/or knowledge. The criteria are itemized with their respective weights for a maximum total of one hundred (100) points per Review Team Member.

Technical Criteria Points

1. Proposer’s relevant experience, qualifications, and past performance, including relevant experience and qualifications of key personnel, key personnel of Subcontractors, that will be assigned to this project, and experience and qualifications of Subcontractors

2. Proposer’s approach to providing the Services requested in this Solicitation 10

3. System Functionality 25

4. Data Migration 15

5. Online Payment Platform 10

Price Criteria Points

6. Proposer’s proposed price (Form 1) 30

Any Proposer, whether a Joint Venture or otherwise, may proffer the experience or qualifications of its corporate parent, sister, or subsidiary (collectively “an Affiliated Company”). However, given the unique nature of individual corporate relationships, Proposers seeking to rely on the experience or qualifications of an affiliated company are advised that the Review Team shall have the discretion to determine what weight, if any, it wishes to give such proffered experience or qualification on a case-by-case basis.