2023-1.v3.04082026 RFP – Agency Solicitation Specifications Page 1 of 51 Revised 4/8/2026

RFP27006808

AGENCY SOLICITATION SPECIFICATIONS

RIDEM RESERVATION AND REGISTRATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR CAMPING,

EVENTS, AND PERMITS

SECTION A: BACKGROUND

Rhode Island’s Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) has extremely diverse properties, hosting natural, cultural, historical, and recreational resources covering upwards of 70,000 acres, both inland and along our 417-mile coastline. RIDEM consists of two Bureaus, the Natural Resource Bureau (NRB) and the Environmental Protection Bureau (EPB). Divisions within the NRB will be utilizing this reservations system to manage the various properties and programs under their jurisdiction.

The Divisions who will be utilizing this system include Parks & Recreation (also referred to as Rhode Island State Parks), Fish & Wildlife (DFW), Marine Fisheries (DMF), Coastal Resources (Coastal), Law Enforcement (DLE), Narragansett Bay Estuarine Research Reserve (NBNERR), and Agriculture & Forest Environment (DAFE).

Within the RIDEM’s Division of Parks & Recreation where the majority of reservations & permitting takes place, there are 8 saltwater beaches, 5 campgrounds, and 11 major parks. On average, over 9 million people visit Rhode Island State parks annually. Rhode Island State Parks has 69 full-time positions and hires over 450 seasonal employees annually. The organization is managed via six Districts, with the headquarters office located in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.

The remaining divisions (DFW, DMF, Coastal, NBNERR, DLE, and DAFE) combined manage dozens of individual properties for hunting, fishing, and passive recreation totaling over 60,000 acres. Of these, the public may reserve 24 specific properties to host events, which is subject to change. In addition, these divisions host more than 20 permit applications currently in PDF form.

The RIDEM requires a mobile-enabled, web-based Registration and Reservation Management System (RRMS) and customer call center for camping reservations, day use reservations, parking reservations, golf round reservations, point of sales transactions, event registration, special use permit reservations, and other permit applications. In addition, this system will potentially facilitate retail transactions, inventory control, and revenue tracking and reporting in the future.

This system will be used by the public, RIDEM employees, and Central Call Center staff to create reservations for campsites, day-use rental sites, parking spaces, and golf rounds cart reservations. The system will also manage RIDEM sponsored events and program registrations, applications and permitting for special uses/events and various scientific and wildlife permits, and small business permits.

The system will handle point-of-sale (POS) items and associated inventory management and will track all revenue received. The RRMS will include Call Center services and a web-based reservation system that allows customers to make reservations/registration via the internet, through a call Center and while at a RIDEM property. The RIDEM requires an existing, proven reservation system.

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The State does not wish to procure a software application still under development. The RRMS software must be out of the box ready, not under development, to be able to process, including, but not limited to;

Point of Sale, Campground Management, and permit application processes at the time that the Vendor bids on the RFP. The customizable portions of the RFP must be completed by the dates as outlined in Appendix C.

RIDEM intends to make a single award as a result of this RFP.

SECTION B: SCOPE OF WORK AND REQUIREMENTS

ITEM 1: GENERAL VENDOR RESPONSIBILITIES AND SYSTEM

REQUIREMENTS

A. General Requirements

1. RIDEM requires a centralized and comprehensive state-wide camping reservation system.

RIDEM averages 27,089 campsite reservations per year.

2. RIDEM requires a centralized and comprehensive state-wide day use site rentals reservation system, including, but not limited to shelters, pavilions, picnic tables, and fields. At this time, RIDEM also manages two event venues, which will also utilize this system for daily rentals.

RIDEM averages 16,833 park rentals per year. RIDEM requires a centralized, State-wide event and program registration for RIDEM sponsored events and programs. There are approximately 105 of these programs and sponsored events on RIDEM properties held annually, with a total estimated 3,210 attendees participating annually.

3. RIDEM requires a centralized and comprehensive, State-wide Special Use/Event reservation and permit management system. Currently, RIDEM reviews and approves over 2,000 Special Use/ Event permits annually. These are requests for approval to engage in events hosted by outside entities for special uses that occur on our properties or for state-wide permissions.

4. RIDEM also manages Scientific Collectors and other Wildlife Permits. RIDEM requires a centralized and comprehensive registration and permit system to allow the public to submit applications for review and approval. RIDEM issues approximately 600 of these permits per year. In addition, RIDEM’s Coastal Resources division issues roughly 1,200 parking permits annually which will be included in this system.

5. RIDEM also manages Small Business Permits, such as outdoor recreational companies, food trucks, and photographers to operate during specified times and at specified locations. RIDEM issues approximately 50 of these permits per year.

6. RIDEM requires a reservation system for its nine-hole golf course. This system must allow customers to reserve golf rounds and golf carts. This golf course averages approximately 15,607 rounds of golf per year and 4,672 golf car rentals per year.

7. At this time, RIDEM only has one location which require a day use parking space reservation system. This location has approximately 25 parking spaces and issues an average of 690 passes each year (day and season combined). RIDEM would like to ensure that the Vendor will be able to add additional parking locations to the system if RIDEM requires in the future.

8. At this time, RIDEM does not sell retail items. Concession operations are managed through contracted vendors; however, RIDEM would like to ensure that the Vendor will be capable of offering a centralized, statewide point of sale system for selling retail items and managing associated inventory if RIDEM may require in future. For these services, Vendor will charge transaction fees mutually agreed upon with RIDEM, and consistent with the other transaction

2023-1.v3.04082026 RFP – Agency Solicitation Specifications Page 3 of 51 Revised 4/8/2026 fees in this contract.

9. Card Processing by the State - Credit card machines will be furnished by the Vendor. The Vendor will be responsible for securely transmitting credit card data during the financial transaction in connection with any Reservation Transaction, and for subsequent historical tracking of Reservation Transactions. The Vendor must utilize a payment gateway that is certified by Total System Services, Inc. (TSYS), a third- party payment processor for banks in North America.

B. System Requirements

1. The Vendor shall allow customers to make, change, and cancel reservations and registrations through a minimum of the following Channels: directly through a web-based reservation system, a Call Center, and on-site at each of the applicable properties.

2. The Vendor shall provide the mechanism(s) and any customer service for all reservations and customer inquiries.

3. RIDEM staff, including on-site RIDEM staff, shall have the ability to make, change and cancel reservations or registrations via the web-based reservation system.

4. RIDEM staff shall have the ability to sell and manage inventory Point-of-Sale items, via the web-based system if RIDEM decides to sell retail items in the future. This should include dynamic promotional pricing.

5. RIDEM staff shall have the ability to accept, track, promote, and sell event registrations via the web-based system.

6. RRMS must be able to have customizable operation windows for any section of the system, i.e.

camping reservations or POS may be input into the system for future go-live dates.

7. The Vendor shall train Vendor Personnel and RIDEM staff to use the web-based RRMS including ensuring RIDEM staff are comfortable with performing associated financial transactions, and running appropriate reports for managing park reservations, inventory, registrations, permits, and sales.

8. Vendors are invited to describe additional functionalities or services beyond basic requirements which should be included in the Technical Proposal. The Vendor shall indicate any separately priced items as directed on the Cost Proposal, identified as optional purchase.

9. RIDEM staff shall have the ability to download and generate reports/data for finances, reservations, permits, registrations, inventory, etc., on RIDEM and without assistance from the Vendor. The Vendor shall electronically report additional reservation or registration data/records as requested to the RIDEM.

10. The Vendor shall furnish such development and test environments necessary to support Contract requirements at no additional cost to the State. The test environment should be synchronized with the production environment in terms of features and functionalities and should be furnished with test/sample data.

11. The Vendor shall provide documentation on any administration or configuration the RIDEM is allowed to perform.

12. The Vendor shall provide the capability for RIDEM to perform unlimited user administration for RIDEM staff logins and provide a variety of different permission levels for RIDEM staff.

13. The Vendor, at no additional cost to RIDEM, shall supply technical support as part of the RRMS, including periodic assistance with configuration and use of the web-based reservation system.

Technical support must be made available via a telephone number, seven (7) days per week and 24 hours per day for reporting problems throughout the year.

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14. The system shall supply self-service password/account reset capabilities for end users as well as staff. Any possible single sign-on integration capabilities are highly preferred.

15. Surveys and Market Research - RIDEM would like to understand the Vendor’s ability to help RIDEM increase sales at its properties through its marketing capabilities when needed. The Vendor should have the capabilities to conduct surveys and support market research as follows:

i. Issue periodic e-mail surveys as requested by the RIDEM;

ii. Provide periodic e-mail contact lists as requested by the RIDEM using available contacts at the Vendor’s disposal; and

iii. Conduct periodic post-stay surveys to all customers to determine customer experience with the RIDEM, subject to any opt- out preferences the customer may have set.

Customers with no e-mail address shall be surveyed via telephone and results recorded as directed by RIDEM. RIDEM shall determine when surveys will be required and the scope of the survey. All survey scripts and mailings shall be pre-approved by the RIDEM.

iv. The Vendor will furnish report data such that it may be aggregated and disaggregated to allow for a range of market research such as reservation types, inventory types, resident

vs. non-resident status, etc.

16. Performance of Work in Continental United States - No work or assignment related to this Contract may be started, conducted, or completed outside of the continental United States. All Vendor Personnel, including all Telephone Operators furnished under the Contract shall perform all work within the continental United States. All web-based operations and web services (including but not limited to the RRMS components that contain and store Sensitive Data) furnished under the Contract shall be conducted, housed, and managed within the continental United States.

17. Contract Management and Contract Support - The Vendor shall assign a Contract Representative as sole POC for the Contract. The Contract Representative shall have the authority and capability to address all issues as they arise during the life of the Contract. The Contract Representative must be available within three (3) hours as necessary for expedited/emergency management. The Vendor shall meet with the RIDEM’s designated Contract Team a minimum of 12 times during each Contract year as determined by the Contract Manager. At these meetings, the Vendor shall provide the latest status report on the Contract support, and RIDEM staff will discuss issues, problems and identify expected resolution time periods for those problems/issues.

C. Reservation Requirements

1. For the purpose of this procurement, Vendor must adhere to all requirements and input all reservations into the web-based reservation system, regardless of Channel used.

2. The Vendor shall ensure no broken links on any web pages or content managed by the Vendor.

3. The web-based reservation system and any associated web page content shall comply with

Federal Section 508 standards and accessibility requirements as outlined in Appendix D.

4. System must utilize a minimum of five (5) minute hold on inventory items as customers add them to their cart, in order to give customers ample time to book their reservation, while preventing other campers from booking the held site during that period. This hold must time out after the period and item moved back into available inventory so that no customer will be able to hold items indefinitely.

5. For all device access, Vendor shall provide a responsively designed website for customers to access the reservation system and perform reservation transactions.

6. The web-based reservation system shall operate with the following hardware and all currently

2023-1.v3.04082026 RFP – Agency Solicitation Specifications Page 5 of 51 Revised 4/8/2026 supported software versions: Microsoft Windows, PCs, Mac OS, Tablets (iPads), Smart Phones (iPhones), Google Chrome, Firefox, Apple's Safari, Apple IOS with Safari, Chrome, FireFox, Android with Chrome, and Microsoft Edge. Vendors, please describe any known limitations associated with their offering. Also please describe support strategy for older technologies.

7. The RRMS shall include but is not limited to:

i. Ability to link to any online calendar of events managed by the RIDEM;

ii. Status indicators for the availability of each Inventory Item shown in a minimum of two-week availability increments and showing partial availability during and near that window;

iii. Pricing for all Inventory Types.

iv. Online alerts for emergencies, weather-related closures, and construction closures.

8. The Vendor shall inform online customers needing help about the Call Center during the hours the Call Center accepts calls.

9. The Vendor shall provide the capability for RIDEM to make updates at any time, and within one-day, provide access to information posted on the web-based reservation system homepage, including changing out the seasonal banner, updating seasonal and feature photos, and updating text. RIDEM staff shall also have the capability to make updates to site parameters, photos, and descriptions.

10. The Vendor shall provide for a simplified way to navigate between multiple properties that is efficient and does not require repeated logging in and out.

11. The Vendor shall provide for a search function with numerous filters to aid in optimizing accurate and appropriate search results.

12. The Vendor shall provide a separate “Habla Espanol” button/area on the front page of the web-based reservation system. This will allow the customer to link to information that will provide general instructions in Spanish and also note Spanish speaking assistance is available by calling the toll-free Call Center number.

13. The State would like, but does not require, the web-based reservation system to record when a customer is denied making a transaction due to an Inventory Item being unavailable. In such a case, the web-based reservation system would record the following: desired Inventory Item, Inventory Type, requested time period, any requested cancellations, and identify reservation requests that were successfully redirected to other sites in the system.

14. At no additional charge to RIDEM, the Vendor shall provide support to RIDEM during situations that may require additional Vendor staff and/or RIDEM support, including but not limited to when there is an “act of God” emergency (e.g., hurricane, flood, snowstorm, etc.) requiring notification and cancellations for customers.

15. The Vendor shall have an Emergency Problem Escalation Plan which will include the names, contact numbers (e.g., phone, cell, email) and contact times of individuals that may be contacted during emergencies or extended unresolved issues. One or more emergency contacts shall be available 24 hours a day / seven days a week. The Vendor shall provide this Plan at the Contract’s Kick-off and maintain this Plan to ‘current’ during the life of the Contract.

D. Customer Accounts

1. This system should allow for the creation, editing, and updating of customer accounts associated to the reservations, permits, and registrations, where applicable, of this contract.

2. The determination of when customer accounts are required, vary between product types, and are further outlined in each Item of this RFP.

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3. All reservations, as well as specified registrations and permits, will require a responsible party on the account, as well as a signable liability portion for the registration/reservation.

4. Customers must be able to access their own accounts and have the option to change, cancel, extend, or shorten their stays, at the applicable costs per the cost proposal. Customer data and the customer’s reservation data shall be accessible and modifiable by the customer via log-in to the web- based reservation system, any Call Center, and RIDEM staff.

5. Customer accounts must be editable by the customer in the future, to update address, license plate, demographics, etc. as applicable. The system should have a simple prompt prior to finalizing a reservation, permit, or registration to confirm all account information is up to date.

6. Call Centers and RIDEM staff shall have the ability to create customer accounts on a customer’s behalf, which will also generate the applicable costs per the cost proposal.

7. A function for history visibility on each account must be available to RIDEM as well, to show any changes to reservations as well as who made the changes and when they were made.

8. The system should have processes in place to prevent or allow for the merging of a duplicate user account.

9. The RRMS shall NOT store the credit card information for a customer.

10. The Vendor shall indicate whether customer records will have the ability to opt-out for certain types of communications from the RIDEM.

ITEM 2: FEE/FUNDING MODEL

1. RIDEM expects the vendor solution to be “customer transaction fee based” funding model.

2. Therefore, RIDEM does not expect to incur any “one time” implementation fee.

3. RIDEM also expects Vendor will provide the ongoing/ recurring fee on “per transaction fee” basis based on State projected Transaction Type and Volume Appendix H.

ITEM 3: SPECIFIC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR CAMPSITES, GOLF, DAY

USE, AND EVENT VENUE RENTALS/RESERVATIONS

1. Any customer making a camping reservation or reserving a day use rental, regardless of Channel used, must first have a customer account created in the system. Golf rounds and cart reservations will not require customer accounts.

2. The Vendor shall provide the ability to perform any of the following on any Inventory Item: make, cancel, void, change Reservation. Transaction fees will be applied as per the Cost Proposal.

3. A Reservation for campsites shall be available by booking a single site or limited number determined by RIDEM for multiple sites in an itinerary for consecutive nights.

4. A Reservation shall include at a minimum: date, time, property, Inventory Type, Inventory Item, unique Reservation identification number, multiple Reservation Transaction numbers, cost of reservation, and customer contact information such as, but not limited to phone, address, and email.

5. A Reservation Transaction number shall be recorded for each Reservation Transaction associated with the unique customer identification number.

6. The web-based reservation system shall display an Inventory Item’s availability in a calendar-based visual format, which can be used to select a Reservation’s date range. It must be possible to print any such information.

7. RIDEM will provide Vendor a complete listing of rules and regulations regarding changing reservations, cancelling reservations, and refunds upon award of this RFP.

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8. Inventory Item availability shall be reflected in the Product Catalog within two (2) minutes of completing a Reservation Transaction.

9. Changing a reservation to a different Property shall be processed as a cancellation.

10. The RRMS shall prevent overbooking of any Inventory Item.

11. The web-based reservation system shall log and retain (per the Contract’s retention terms and conditions) all changes to Reservations, associated financial transactions, and as associated with a customer, the number and types of Reservation Transactions made to each Reservation. This system should also have the capability for Vendor and RIDEM staff to make notes within a reservation that cannot be viewed or accessed by the public.

12. The web-based reservation system and Call Center Operators shall indicate when a Reservation Transaction cannot be performed, and the reason why.

13. The Vendor shall send written confirmation of each Reservation Transaction within 24 hours of a completed Reservation Transaction.

i. Electronic confirmation of a Reservation Transaction shall be generated at the time the Reservation Transaction is completed and shall be printable.

ii. Reservation Transactions performed directly by customers shall be confirmed via e-mail and/or text.

iii. All communication format content shall be approved in advance by RIDEM

iv. A printed confirmation shall be mailed to any customer with no e-mail address making a Call

Center Reservation, or who requests a printed copy to be mailed. These letters shall be available after the date of arrival.

v. Confirmation letters must be available to RIDEM staff for reference after the date of arrival.

14. The web-based reservation system shall provide the capability to suggest purchasing additional add-ons if developed by RIDEM in future. Skipping add-on suggestions shall not require the system user to click in the web-based reservation system. The RIDEM would like, but does not require, add-ons to be added with no additional manual steps. Note that not all Inventory Items within an Inventory Type may have the same list of suggested add-ons.

15. The web-based reservation system shall include customer “must-reads” provided by the RIDEM which require customer consent (e.g., check box) and that these may be customized by property.

16. The web-based reservation system shall be accessible from the RIDEM’s websites, including mobile app.

17. The web-based reservation system shall be available for Product Catalog searches and Reservation Transactions 7-days a week, 24-hours a day.

18. The Vendor shall, in partnership with the RIDEM, provide web customers with links to additional information, including local economic development and tourism agencies, as furnished by the RIDEM. The RRMS shall be configured to allow this additional information to be specific to reservations made at specific properties and for certain inventory types.

19. RIDEM would like for visitors to be able to self-check-in to include providing number of occupants, all occupant names, and vehicle tag numbers upon arrival and to self- check-out upon their departure without having to wait for RIDEM staff to complete that transaction for designated properties.

20. The Vendor shall support operationally and systematically any event resulting in mass Inventory Item closures (e.g., a major weather event). The Vendor shall describe in its Technical Proposal how it will support such a closure. The State will provide a primary POC to coordinate multiple closures.

At a minimum, the Vendor shall:

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i. Update its phone system to furnish an audio message regarding the closures;

ii. Close the impacted Inventory Item(s), void any reservations as directed by RIDEM, and provide refunds according to RIDEM policies to the impacted customers;

iii. Send one or more recorded audio messages to impacted customers using RIDEM-approved language; and

iv. Send one or more e-mails and/or text messages to impacted customers with RIDEM approved language.

v. In the event of a mass closure, Vendor may be responsible to refund all effective parties in full (inclusive of transaction fees), in which case, RIDEM will be responsible to reimburse the Vendor these transaction fees upon Vendor providing a detailed refund report outlining each reservation and all existing transaction fees. The Vendor shall not collect cancellation fees in these instances.

21. The web-based reservation system shall provide an interactive map for each property with the following minimum attributes:

i. A main map showing the entire property.

ii. An interactive map furnished by the Vendor showing the location of the property relative to nearby recreation attractions and public roadways.

iii. A detailed, interactive, map of the campground/campsite/parking lots/other Inventory Items using information furnished by the RIDEM. Interaction with this map will show proximity of an Inventory Item to other camp sites/Inventory Items as well as proximity to property attributes including water, restrooms, playgrounds, camp loops and any nearby recreation attractions, entrance to park, and public roadways on this map.

iv. Selecting an Inventory Item or other interactive element on the map will display information about the selected element, to include digital images for each element as furnished by the RIDEM. All digital images will be capable of enlargement within the system to be properly viewed by all users.

v. Each map shall display a north compass arrow.

vi. Capacity to link property information to common mapping applications (i.e.., ArcGIS, Google Maps).

vii. Link to trail maps on RIDEM’s web pages or using ArcGIS.

ITEM 4: SPECIFIC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR PARKING SPACE

RESERVATIONS

There is currently only one property in RIDEM with reservable day-use parking spaces, however, these may expand to other properties in the future.

1. The goals for, and the desired benefits of providing advanced reservations for day-use parking spaces include: (1) an increased window of time for patrons to request permits outside of normal park hours; (2) greater convenience and availability for patrons who will be able to utilize the online system as their schedule permits; (3) expanded availability of service to those patrons for whom English is not their first language, or who have a speech-related disability; (4) improve safety due to reduced cash handling; and (5) improved data accuracy and cost savings due to automating a manual, labor-intensive process.

2. Functionality – The public will use this service to determine if a parking space is available at a specific property and to reserve a parking space at a particular property. The application must

2023-1.v3.04082026 RFP – Agency Solicitation Specifications Page 9 of 51 Revised 4/8/2026 allow users to go online, choose a date and timeframe to visit a specific property, enter their personal information (name, email address, phone number, vehicle registration), and be sent (or able to download) a permit that shows the permit number, their name and registration information, the date and timeframe of their visit, and information about the permit and the area.

3. The software will allow multiple pass types for parking (per person, per car, seasonal, daily etc.).

4. System must interface with handheld POS devices (tablet, cell phone, scanner) enabling onsite

RIDEM staff to remotely view permit holders to view/validate passes and reservations and to issue permits onsite for unfilled spaces and/or dates.

5. If needed, RIDEM would like the system to allow for a visitor to input a pass, exemption certificate, or designation authorized by the RIDEM that allows the pass free of charge.

6. Customer accounts will not be required to reserve parking spaces.

ITEM 5: SPECIFIC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR INVENTORY ITEMS FOR

PRODUCT CATALOG

1. The Product Catalog shall be fully searchable by any individual interacting with the web-based reservation system, including RIDEM staff, web-based users, and mobile device users consistent with the requirements for access to the web-based reservation system.

2. Product Catalog search criteria shall include at a minimum: property name, geographic region (e.g., a distance-based search, route-based search), inventory item (Site) status (reserved, available, closed), available dates, inventory type, property maps (interactive and static that display site features with photos), vehicle parking (quantity, camper size), cabin amenities, pet allowed, ADA accessibility, number of occupants allowed, group sites, or any cautions or alerts particular to that product ( i.e. steep grade for a campsite).

3. RIDEM shall have the capability to directly add, remove, and update Inventory Items from the Product Catalog quickly and easily, with minimal Vendor involvement. This functionality extends to locations, campgrounds, merchandise or equipment rental, maps, photos or images, pricing, package parameters, descriptive text, and campsite or day site rental features. Updates to an Inventory Item shall include the ability to block periods where the Inventory Item is unavailable (such as severe weather resulting in changing Inventory Item status). Vendor shall understand that RIDEM has minimal staffing and should be prepared to assist in entering, updating or blocking inventory items in the Product Catalog when requested by RIDEM.

4. An Inventory Item shall have at a minimum, the following characteristics: status, photos with enlargement capabilities, and details such as attributes, maps, and links.

5. Inventory Types and Items shall have business rules, including fees, associated by Inventory Item, Inventory Type, and by property.

6. Updates to Inventory Items shall be visible to web-based reservation system users within two (2) minutes of saving the update.

7. The RRMS shall support the following Inventory Types including but not limited to: camping (tent & cabin) sites, fields, pavilions, picnic shelters, event venues, parking spaces, golf rounds, and golf cart rentals.

8. The Product Catalog shall allow additional Inventory Types to be defined.

9. RIDEM requires the ability for a customer to indicate interest in an Inventory Item, Inventory Type, or other element of the system, and have the system notify the customer when a change occurs that meets the customer’s interest. For instance, a cancellation in a pavilion rental result in availability at

2023-1.v3.04082026 RFP – Agency Solicitation Specifications Page 10 of 51 Revised 4/8/2026 a particular property on a particular date.

10. The system will be compatible for use with mobile devices, including offline, cell phones (iPhones) and tablets (iPads), for check-ins, implementation of reservation transactions, POS sales and related inventory management, and to perform other transactions, including incorporating card reader devices on those mobile devices.

ITEM 6: SPECIFIC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR RIDEM-SPONSORED EVENT

AND PROGRAM REGISTRATIONS

1. Functionality - The public will use this service to determine if registration spaces to a RIDEM-sponsored events and programs are available at a specific property and to reserve the permits (tickets, and/or certifications) or time slots for the event or program. The application must allow users the ability to go online, choose a specific event or program, enter their personal information (name, email address, phone number), upload documents, sign waivers digitally, and be sent (or be given the option to download) a permit that shows the permit number, their name and registration information, the date and timeframe of their visit, and information about the event and the area.

RIDEM would like, but does not require, the option to include QR codes on these permits in order to track entry/attendance, as well as to simplify the check-in process.

2. RIDEM must be able to create and manage registrations and reservations independently, without the assistance of the Vendor.

i. Registrations and reservations must have the ability to impose age restrictions, capacity limits, waitlists, multi-day events, and multiple sessions or recurring dates under a single program.

ii. Events should be easily duplicable for frequently occurring events.

iii. The system must offer youth registration support, including separate parent/guardian records, parental consent, and waiver management.

3. Registrations and reservations must be able to send automated confirmation, reminder, and follow-up communications with basic branding as customized by RIDEM including communications sent to registrants filtered by various parameters (waitlist, registered, guardian only, etc.).

4. RIDEM staff must be able to manage rosters, attendance, and waitlists independently at multiple permissions levels including the ability to add notes or comments to registrants or mark participants as no-shows. Staff should be able to easily view registrations and participants per event on a dashboard.

5. System must interface with handheld POS devices (tablet, cell phone, scanner) enabling onsite RIDEM staff to remotely view permit holders to view/validate reservations and to issue permits onsite for unfilled spaces and/or dates.

6. Customer accounts will not be required to register for an event or program

7. Inventory must be maintained in real-time by the application in order to avoid sales that would exceed the number of available event slots.

8. All registration and reservation data, including but not limited to rosters, participant RIDEM demographics, multi-year data, program/location, and cancellations, must be available for export by RIDEM as needed without Vendor support.

9. Although the majority of RIDEM-sponsored events and programs do not charge registration or admission fees, the RRMS system must allow the RIDEM the ability to charge a fee and process payments for events or program registrations as determined by RIDEM. Vendor will only be able to

2023-1.v3.04082026 RFP – Agency Solicitation Specifications Page 11 of 51 Revised 4/8/2026 charge transaction fees for the RIDEM-sponsored events and programs with registration or admission fees, with some exceptions, as further outlined in the cost proposal.

The system must allow for discount codes or fee waivers as well as refunds. Discount codes and waivers will be generated by DEM only and allow for a reduction or waiver of the cost for the event or program based on DEM policy. Discounts will not affect transaction fees;

however, waived fee transactions will not have a transaction fee.

ITEM 7: SPECIFIC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR EVENTS AND SPECIAL USE

PERMITS, INCLUDING SCIENTIFIC COLLECTOR’S AND WILDLIFE PERMITS

1. In addition to events, RIDEM also issues permits for Special Uses, which may include such items as

Scientific Collector’s Permits, Wildlife Possession Permits, Small Business Permits.

2. Functionality - RIDEM staff must have the ability to receive application requests by the public to utilize properties for special uses or an event. The application must require the public user to create an account in order to submit an application. The system must provide the following:

i. Require the public user to enter personal information and detailed information regarding the requested use or event.

ii. Have an “if, then” logic setup, which will auto select the applicable fields to narrow down the event guidelines/process (i.e., attendance, event-type, location, etc.) to prompt the user to enter information workflow specific to each request. Such conditional items must be customizable as new items are added. This will allow RIDEM to streamline the workflow to the appropriate Districts and clarify the application process to the public, while reducing the need for explanatory calls to RIDEM staff.

iii. Allow returning public users the ability to backfill their information into future applications to reduce the need to reenter personal information or re-occurring uses or events.

iv. RIDEM staff must have the ability to easily create and/or edit these applications on RIDEM and without assistance from the Vendor, utilizing form fields to capture detailed specifics regarding each event or special use (i.e., total attendance, event type, non-profit vs. for-profit, etc.).

v. Be capable of providing drop-down screens for both RIDEM staff and the public user to select information to reduce the need to hand-type.

vi. Must also allow the application to have imbedded links to other websites to bring a public user to a law, regulation or other entities that require permits for specific activities associated with a use or event such as the Rhode Island State Fire Marshal for tent inspection, and the Rhode Island State Police/ Charitable Gaming Unit for raffle permits.

vii. RIDEM must be able to customize all permits’ final design that will be distributed to the public upon final approval.

3. Workflow- RIDEM staff must have the ability to customize an automatic workflow that tasks various staff within and outside the RIDEM with different aspects of the review and permitting process such as authorizing conditional approval, adding conditions and/or restrictions to the use /event, assessing insurance, assessing costs, and assessing public safety. The system must:

i. Have a workflow delegation to each applicable RIDEM staff in the approval process. Such delegations must easily be customizable by RIDEM without the assistance from the Vendor as staff members change temporarily and/or permanently. This workflow must have a notification process to automatically alert the next RIDEM staff that a task is pending.

ii. The workflow must have the ability to be logic-based (e.g., a Park Manager is automatically

2023-1.v3.04082026 RFP – Agency Solicitation Specifications Page 12 of 51 Revised 4/8/2026 notified when their park is selected, or an administrator is notified if alcohol has been selected).

iii. Have the ability to add two types of notes within the system, public facing as well as internal, visible only to RIDEM staff.

iv. Have the ability to capture all emails/tasks within the system and attach them to a specific permit reservation.

v. Allow for the uploading of documents.

vi. Allow this process to be connected to day-use site reservations/POS and inventory management system, to allow the public user to submit an application for a special use or event along with reserving a specific area(s) of a property such as a field or pavilion that will be utilized for the use or event.

vii. Allow for both the public user to electronically sign the application accepting all the terms and conditions and RIDEM Staff to electronically sign as official approval. Once an application is approved, the system must allow RIDEM staff or the public user to print the permit containing the complete details of the event, terms and conditions, and any uploaded documents.

4. The system must allow for built-in automatic renewals when applicable. RIDEM staff must be able to set up renewal structures for each permit (annual, biannual, etc.) and customize the requirements for renewals. The system then must automatically notify the permittee and associated staff of the pending renewal and any requirements to be completed prior to renewal, including document upload.

5. The system must have a public facing and internal facing calendar to allow the public to determine property and site availability and for RIDEM staff to see what uses or events are taking place on their properties. The calendar must allow for personalized and filterable settings so RIDEM staff can look at uses/events statewide, District-wide, or just for a specific property. If the Vendor is unable to provide a calendar, the Vendor must provide some alternate options such as a report which is still capable of allowing personalized settings by RIDEM staff.

The system must have a dashboard or reporting capability that can allow RIDEM staff to quickly check the status of events individually, State-wide, District-wide, or by property. This status must indicate where the application is in the process and who has a task pending.

6. The system must generate invoices when prompted by RIDEM staff and must auto-populate and auto-calculate as RIDEM staff select from certain fee structures. The system must also allow RIDEM staff to create customizable line items for costs that may not have a pre-set fee structure and make edits or adjustments at any point. The system must allow this invoice to be emailed to the public user who submitted the application by auto-populating an email and pre-set text for the body of the email.

The system must allow for RIDEM staff to add or change emails and edit the text in the email.

7. The system must be able to prepare reports based on information captured in application fields such as use/event type by a property, District or State-wide for a specific time period or to show total attendance from these uses/events by use/event type, by property, District or State-wide for a specific time period.

ITEM 8: POINT OF SALE AND INVENTORY MANAGEMENT

The proposed system must provide processing of point-of-sale (POS) transactions in a manner that has the following attributes:

1. Ability to add POS inventory to any reservation.

2. Inventory control features capable of capturing, storing, and transferring individual items, as well

2023-1.v3.04082026 RFP – Agency Solicitation Specifications Page 13 of 51 Revised 4/8/2026 as providing an accurate reflection of merchandise quantities and values on hand, displayable in more than one format.

3. Allows for periodic inventory physical counts via manual and data import.

4. Allows assignment of stocking and alternative unit of measures.

5. Able to sell all types of merchandise, including but not limited to gas, food, firewood, ice, apparel, books, and other miscellaneous items.

6. Assigns product numbers and allows entry of a UPC code.

7. Provide an itemized receipt for the purchase or rental of goods and services with a unique transaction number for each sale.

8. Displays POS products on-screen. POS transactions can be made at the properties.

9. Allows for on-site additions to (receiving of) inventory.

10. Supports an online internet store.

11. Allows for periodic promotions by item or category.

12. Supports centralized and local purchasing, receiving, and item pricing.

13. Capable of performing sales transactions in off-line mode.

14. Ability to have certain items designated that are available at all properties and other items that are sold specifically at a particular property.

15. Ability to have fixed pricing for certain items and variable pricing (i.e., by property) for other items.

16. Provide instant information about “Sold Out” items.

17. Ability to enter POS items into the inventory manually or through the use of bar code scanners.

18. Ability to process POS sales manually or through the use of bar code scanners.

19. Ability to handle tax-exempt sales, when the appropriate waiver is provided to RIDEM staff.

20. Ability to refund items and put the item back into the inventory when required.

21. All fulfillment to be performed by RIDEM staff.

22. Ability to have a physical inventory process that allows staff to select particular items and select a variety of different locations. Allow for a choice of options such as (1) complete inventory of all items in one property location; (2) drop downs with subcategories of different inventory items at a location; and (3) statewide inventory by location and item and time period.

23. Ability to generate standard retail sales reports including, but not limited to, on-hand inventory, low-stock alerts, product performance and margins, sales summaries by category, and detailed trends.

24. When a customer makes a Point-of-Sale purchase, they must not be required to establish a customer account.

25. Ability to connect to a cash drawer dedicated to the reservation system

ITEM 9: FEE CALCULATIONS AND PAYMENT PROCESSING

1. The RRMS shall provide 100% Reservation Transaction accuracy, to include the calculation or recalculation of fees and payment processing. Accuracy of fees charged, including refunds and voided transactions, is the responsibility of the Vendor.

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2. The Vendor shall accurately display and calculate fee information for all Inventory Items based upon the business rules.

3. Reservation fees shall be calculated systematically. The system must be able to apply different Vendor transaction fees depending on the type of transaction and the inventory type identified as Campsite reservations, Day-Use rental reservation, Parking Space reservations, Special Use/Event permit registrations, Scientific Collectors and Wildlife permit registrations, Point-of-Sale items and a RIDEM Sponsored Events or Programs where admittance fees are being charged. No transaction fees shall be charged for registrations for any RIDEM Sponsored Event or Program that does not have an admittance fee.

4. The web-based reservation system shall provide the capability for RIDEM staff with appropriate permissions to reduce or waive the value of the fees to be charged. For Call Center Operators with permissions to make such changes, approval to make a specific reduction for a customer shall only occur with written approval by specific RIDEM designees. The web-based reservation system shall provide the ability to record the reason for the discount.

5. RIDEM will be responsible to reimburse the Vendor for any waived transaction fees that have been required by RIDEM, unless RIDEM has deemed that a transaction fee was charged incorrectly by the Vendor. RIDEM will not reimburse Vendor for any additional transaction fees that the Vendor opts to waive. In the instance where RIDEM is responsible to reimburse or otherwise compensate the Vendor, the Vendor shall withhold the exact amount of the fee(s) from the scheduled money transfer to the RIDEM. Any money’s withheld shall be explained with back-up and provided to RIDEM when the transfer occurs.

6. The Vendor shall provide the capability for RIDEM to add new types of fees that will be included in fee calculations. This may include applying seasonal pricing, discounts, regional or new taxes.

RIDEM shall document in the business rules any such fees, features, or discounts.

7. The Vendor shall provide the capability to support accurate fee calculation using coupons as well as discount codes applied to a customer or range of customers. Vendors shall briefly describe existing capabilities in their Technical Proposal, and include any components associated with additional fees to the Technical Proposal as an optional purchase, providing associated costs in the Financial Proposal. No cost information shall be provided in the Technical Proposal.

8. The RRMS shall accept multiple payment forms including at a minimum: cash, checks or money orders (at property sites only), credit cards and bank affiliated debit cards, or any other transaction types such as digital payment systems that has had prior approval of RIDEM.

9. Vendor will follow a schedule of bi-monthly transfers of funds to RIDEM.

10. The Vendor shall provide a monthly settlement report to the RIDEM such that the proceeds from the payment and credit records are deposited into the specified State bank account(s) no later than the next business day after the payment and credit records are identified as RIDEM funds.

11. The Vendor shall provide a method for allocating or tagging transaction payments into separate accounts when transferring revenue to RIDEM. Each of the seven Divisions utilizing this contract will have a minimum of one specified account for each of their respective funds, Divisions may maintain multiple funds to account for different revenue sources within the RRMS, and additional Divisions or accounts may be added in the future. The RRMS must ensure that no commingling or crossover of revenue occurs between accounts assigned to different Divisions.

12. The Vendor shall ensure efficient and accurate revenue accountability, traceability, and the reporting of revenue transactions and deposits. The Vendor shall ensure delivery of Rhode Island’s revenue to the State Treasurer’s Office within 24 hours of receipt. Electronic means to do this must be coordinated with the State Treasurer’s Office and RIDEM at Contract award and be maintained appropriately during the life of the Contract.

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13. All Vendor functions shall be consistent with: Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). Any questions of consistency to these standards during the course of the Contract must be directed to RIDEM.

14. Vendor is responsible for managing all aspects of credit card processing including initial payment…