SBC Counseling IFB #2026-9-1.pdf

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

Southwestern Community College

Invitation for Bid #: 2026-9-1

Small Business Center Counseling Services

Date of Issue: September 24, 2026

Bid Opening Date: 10/7/26

At 10:00 AM ET

Direct all inquiries concerning this IFB to:

Suzanne Vincent

Coordinator of Procurement

Email: s_vincent@southwesterncc.edu

Phone: 828-339-4464

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Invitation for Bid #

2026-9-1

For internal State agency processing, including tabulation of bids, provide your company’s eVP (Electronic Vendor

Portal) Number. Pursuant to G.S. 132-1.10(b) this identification number shall not be released to the public. This page will be removed and shredded, or otherwise kept confidential, before the procurement file is made available for public inspection.

This page shall be filled out and returned with your bid.

Failure to do so may subject your bid to rejection.

Vendor Name

Vendor eVP#

Note: For a contract to be awarded to you, your company (you) must be a North Carolina registered

Vendor in good standing. You must enter the Vendor number assigned through eVP (Electronic Vendor

Portal). If you do not have a Vendor number, register at https://evp.nc.gov/SignIn

Electronic responses ONLY will be accepted for this solicitation.

https://evp.nc.gov/SignIn

Bid Number: 2026-9-1 Vendor: __________________________________________

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Refer ALL Inquiries regarding this IFB to:

Suzanne Vincent

Southwestern Community College

447 College Drive

Sylva, NC 28779 s_vincent@southwesterncc.edu

Invitation for Bid #: 2026-9-1

Bids will be publicly opened: 10/7/26 @ 10AM

Balsam Center rm 190a

Southwestern Community College

447 College Drive

Sylva, NC 28779

Using Agency: Southwestern Community College Commodity No. and Description: 801015 – Business Consulting

Requisition No.: na

EXECUTION

In compliance with this Invitation for Bid (IFB), and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned Vendor offers and agrees to furnish and deliver any or all items upon which prices are bid, at the prices set opposite each item within the time specified herein.

By executing this bid, the undersigned Vendor understands that false certification is a Class I felony and certifies that:

▪ this bid is submitted competitively and without collusion (G.S. 143-54),

▪ none of its officers, directors, or owners of an unincorporated business entity has been convicted of any violations of Chapter 78A of the General Statutes, the Securities Act of 1933, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (G.S. 143-59.2), and

▪ it is not an ineligible Vendor as set forth in G.S. 143-59.1.

Furthermore, by executing this bid, the undersigned certifies to the best of Vendor’s knowledge and belief, that:

▪ it and its principals are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal or State department or agency.

As required by G.S. 143-48.5, the undersigned Vendor certifies that it, and each of its sub-Contractors for any Contract awarded as a result of this IFB, complies with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the NC General Statutes, including the requirement for each employer with more than 25 employees in North Carolina to verify the work authorization of its employees through the federal E-Verify system.

As required by Executive Order 24 (2017), the undersigned Vendor certifies will comply with all Federal and State requirements concerning fair employment and that it does not and will not discriminate, harass, or retaliate against any employee in connection with performance of any

Contract arising from this solicitation.

G.S. 133-32 and Executive Order 24 (2009) prohibit the offer to, or acceptance by, any State Employee associated with the preparing plans, specifications, estimates for public contracts; or awarding or administering public contracts; or inspecting or supervising delivery of the public contract of any gift from anyone with a contract with the State, or from any person seeking to do business with the State. By execution of this response to the IFB, the undersigned certifies, for Vendor’s entire organization and its employees or agents, that Vendor is not aware that any such gift has been offered, accepted, or promised by any employees of your organization.

By executing this bid, Vendor certifies that it has read and agreed to the INSTRUCTION TO VENDORS and the NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS

AND CONDITIONS incorporated herein. These documents can be accessed from the ATTACHMENTS page within this document.

Failure to execute/sign bid prior to submittal may render bid invalid and it MAY BE REJECTED. Late bids shall not be accepted.

COMPLETE/FORMAL NAME OF VENDOR:

STREET ADDRESS: P.O. BOX: ZIP:

CITY & STATE & ZIP: TELEPHONE NUMBER: TOLL FREE TEL. NO:

PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS ADDRESS IF DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE (SEE INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS ITEM #21):

PRINT NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING ON BEHALF OF VENDOR:

Southwestern Community College

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VENDOR’S AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE*: DATE: EMAIL:

VALIDITY PERIOD

Offer shall be valid for at least sixty (60) days from date of bid opening, unless otherwise stated here: ______ days, or if extended by mutual agreement of the parties in writing. Any withdrawal of this offer shall be made in writing, effective upon receipt by the agency issuing this IFB.

ACCEPTANCE OF BIDS

If your bid is accepted, all provisions of this IFB, along with the written results of any negotiations, shall constitute the written agreement between the parties (“Contract”). The NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS are incorporated herein and shall apply. Depending upon the Goods or Services being offered, other terms and conditions may apply, as mutually agreed.

FOR STATE USE ONLY: Offer accepted and Contract awarded this________ day of __________, 20____, as indicated on

The attached certification, by ____________________________________________________________________.

(Authorized Representative of Southwestern Community College)

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Contents

1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

1.1 CONTRACT TERM

2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1 INVITATION FOR BID DOCUMENT

2.2 E-PROCUREMENT FEE

2.3 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING IFB TERMS AND CONDITIONS

2.4 IFB SCHEDULE

2.5 BID QUESTIONS

2.6 BID SUBMITTAL

2.7 BID CONTENTS

2.8 ALTERNATE BIDS

3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND BID EVALUATION PROCESS

3.1 METHOD OF AWARD

3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION

3.3 BID EVALUATION PROCESS

3.4 PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

3.5 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES

4.0 REQUIREMENTS

6.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

7.0 ATTACHMENTS

ATTACHMENT A: PRICING

ATTACHMENT C: NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS

ATTACHMENT D: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM

ATTACHMENT E: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR

ATTACHMENT F: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

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1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

The Small Business Center Network (SBCN) was established in 1984 by the NC General Assembly as a constituent program of the

NC Community Colleges. The objective of the SBCN is to increase the success rate and the number of viable small businesses in

North Carolina by providing high quality, readily accessible assistance to prospective and existing small business owners, which will lead to job creation and retention. Each SBC is a community-based provider of education, training, counseling, referral and information.

The intent of this solicitation is to award an Agency Specific Contract.

1.1 CONTRACT TERM

The Contract shall have an initial term of one year, beginning on the date of final Contract execution (the “Effective Date”)

At the end of the Contract’s initial term, the State shall have the option, in its sole discretion, to renew the Contract on the same terms and conditions for up to two (2) additional one-year terms. The State will give the Vendor written notice of its intent to exercise each option no later than thirty (30] days before the end of the Contract’s then-current term. In addition to any optional renewal terms, and with the Vendor’s concurrence, the State reserves the right to extend the Contract after the last active term.

Bids shall be submitted in accordance with the terms and conditions of this IFB and any addenda issued hereto.

2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1 INVITATION FOR BID DOCUMENT

This IFB is comprised of the base IFB document, any attachments, and any addenda released before Contract award, which are incorporated herein by reference.

2.2 E-PROCUREMENT FEE

ATTENTION: The E-Procurement fee may apply to this solicitation. See the paragraph entitled ELECTRONIC PROCUREMENT of the North Carolina General Terms and Conditions.

General information on the E-Procurement Services can be found at: http://eprocurement.nc.gov/.

2.3 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING IFB TERMS AND CONDITIONS

It shall be the Vendor’s responsibility to read the Instructions to Vendors, the North Carolina General Terms and Conditions, all relevant exhibits and attachments, and any other components made a part of this IFB and comply with all requirements and specifications herein. Vendors are also responsible for obtaining and complying with all Addenda and other changes that may be issued in connection with this IFB.

If Vendors have questions or issues regarding any component of this IFB, those must be submitted as questions in accordance with the instructions in the BID QUESTIONS Section. If the State determines that any changes will be made as a result of the questions asked, then such decisions will be communicated in the form of an IFB addendum. The State may also elect to leave open the possibility for later negotiation of specific provisions of the Contract that have been addressed during the question-and-answer period, prior to contract award.

Other than through the process of negotiation under 01 NCAC 05B.0503, the State rejects and will not be required to evaluate or consider any additional or modified terms and conditions submitted with Vendor’s bid or otherwise. This applies to any language appearing in or attached to the document as part of the Vendor’s bid that purports to vary any terms and conditions or Vendors’ instructions herein or to render the bid non-binding or subject to further negotiation. Vendor’s bid shall constitute a firm offer that shall be held open for the period required herein (“Validity Period” above).

The State may exercise its discretion to consider Vendor proposed modifications. By execution and delivery of this IFB Response, the Vendor agrees that any additional or modified terms and conditions, whether submitted purposely or inadvertently, shall have no force or effect, and will be disregarded unless expressly agreed upon during negotiations and incorporated by way of a http://eprocurement.nc.gov/

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Best and Final Offer (BAFO). Noncompliance with, or any attempt to alter or delete, this paragraph shall constitute sufficient grounds to reject Vendor’s bid as nonresponsive.

2.4 IFB SCHEDULE

The table below shows the intended schedule for this IFB. The State will make every effort to adhere to this schedule.

Event Responsibility Date and Time

Issue IFB State September 24, 2026

Hold Pre-Bid Meeting/Site Visit State n/a

Submit Written Questions Vendor 9/29 @ 1p

Provide Response to Questions State 10/1 @ 3p

Submit Bids Vendor 10/7 @ 10a

Contract Award State TBD

2.5 BID QUESTIONS

Upon review of the IFB documents, Vendors may have questions to clarify or interpret the IFB in order to submit the best bid possible. To accommodate the Bid Questions process, Vendors shall submit any such questions by the “Submit Written Questions” date and time provided in the IFB SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum.

Written questions shall be emailed to s_vincent@southwesterncc.edu by the date and time specified above. Vendors should enter

“IFB #2026-9-1: Questions” as the subject for the email. Question submittals should include a reference to the applicable IFB section and be submitted in the format shown below:

Reference Vendor Question

IFB Section, Page Number Vendor question …?

Questions received prior to the submission deadline date, the State’s response, and any additional terms deemed necessary by the State will be posted in the form of an addendum to the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP), https://evp.nc.gov, and shall become an Addendum to this IFB. No information, instruction or advice provided orally or informally by any State personnel, whether made in response to a question or otherwise in connection with this IFB, shall be considered authoritative or binding. Vendors shall rely only on written material contained in the IFB and an addendum to this IFB.

2.6 BID SUBMITTAL

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is an absolute requirement. Late bids, regardless of cause, will not be opened or considered, and will be automatically disqualified from further consideration. Vendor shall bear the sole risk of late submission due to unintended or unanticipated delay. It is the Vendor’s sole responsibility to ensure its bid has been received as described in this IFB by the specified time and date of opening. The time and date of receipt will be marked on each bid when received. Any bid or portion thereof received after the bid deadline will be rejected.

All proposal responses shall be submitted electronically via the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP). Additional information can be found at the eVP updates for Vendors link: https://eprocurement.nc.gov/news-events/evp-updates-vendors.

Failure to submit a bid in strict accordance with these instructions shall constitute sufficient cause to reject a Vendor’s bids(s).

Vendors are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to upload bids.

Critical updated information may be included in Addenda to this IFB. It is important that all Vendors responding to this IFB periodically check the State’s eVP website for any Addenda that may be issued prior to the bid opening date. All Vendors shall be deemed to have read and understood all information in this IFB and all Addenda thereto.

mailto:s_vincent@southwesterncc.edu https://evp.nc.gov/

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2.7 BID CONTENTS

Vendors shall populate all attachments of this IFB that require the Vendor to provide information and include an authorized signature where requested. Failure to provide all required items, or Vendor’s submission of incomplete items, may result in the

State rejecting Vendor’s bid, in the State’s sole discretion.

Vendor IFB responses shall include the following items and attachments, which shall be arranged in the following order:

a) Title Page: Include the company name, address, phone number and authorized representative along with the Bid Number.

b) Completed and signed version of all EXECUTION PAGES, along with the body of the IFB.

c) Signed receipt pages of any addenda released in conjunction with this IFB, if required to be returned.

d) Completed version of ATTACHMENT A: PRICING

e) Completed version of ATTACHMENT D : CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM

f) Completed version of ATTACHMENT E: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR

g) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT F: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

2.8 ALTERNATE BIDS

Unless provided otherwise in this IFB, Vendor may submit alternate bids for comparable Goods, various methods or levels of

Service(s), or that propose different options. Alternate bid must specifically identify the IFB requirements and advantage(s) addressed by the alternate bid. Any alternate bid, in addition to the marking described above, must be clearly marked with the legend: “Alternate Bid #___ [for ‘name of Vendor’]”. Each bid must be for a specific set of Goods and Services and must include specific pricing. If a Vendor chooses to respond with various offerings, each must be offered with a separate price and be contained in a separate bid. Each bid must be complete and independent of other bids offered.

3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND BID EVALUATION PROCESS

3.1 METHOD OF AWARD

North Carolina G.S. 143-52 provides a general list of criteria the State shall use to award contracts, as supplemented by the additional criteria herein. The Goods or Services being procured shall dictate the application and order of criteria; however, all award decisions shall be in the State’s best interest.

All responsive bids will be reviewed, and an award or awards will be based on the responsive bid(s) offering the lowest price that meets the specifications provided herein, to include any required verifications set out here in such as but not limited to past performance, references, and financial documents. More specifically, all qualified bids will be evaluated, and award made based on considering the following criteria listed in descending order of importance, to result in an award most advantageous to the State:

1. Counselor Qualifications & Experience

2. Service Delivery Approach

3. Past Performance & References

4. Cost Proposal & Value

While the intent of this IFB is to award a Contract(s) to a single Vendor, the State reserves the right to make separate awards to different Vendors for one or more line items, to not award one or more line items, or to cancel this IFB in its entirety without awarding a Contract, if it is considered to be most advantageous to the State to do so.

The State reserves the right to waive any minor informality or technicality in bids received.

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3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION

While this IFB is under evaluation, the responding Vendor, including any subcontractors and suppliers, is prohibited from engaging in conversations intended to influence the outcome of the evaluation. See the Paragraph 29 of the Instructions to Vendors entitled

COMMUNICATIONS BY VENDORS.

Each Vendor submitting a bid to this IFB, including its employees, agents, subcontractors, suppliers, subsidiaries and affiliates, is prohibited from having any communications with any person inside or outside the using agency; issuing agency; other government agency office or body (including the procurement lead named above, any department secretary, agency head, members of the General Assembly and Governor’s office); or private entity, if the communication refers to the content of Vendor’s bid or qualifications, the content of another Vendor’s proposal, another Vendor’s qualifications or ability to perform a resulting contract, and/or the transmittal of any other communication of information that could be reasonably considered to have the effect of directly or indirectly influencing the evaluation of proposals, the award of a contract, or both.

Any Vendor not in compliance with this provision shall be disqualified from evaluation and award. A Vendor’s proposal may be disqualified if its subcontractor and/or supplier engage in any of the foregoing communications during the time that the procurement is active (i.e., the issuance date of the procurement until the date of contract award or cancellation of the procurement). Only those discussions, communications or transmittals of information authorized or initiated by the issuing agency for this IFB or inquiries directed to the procurement lead named in this IFB regarding requirements of the IFB (prior to proposal submission) or the status of the award (after submission) are excepted from this provision.

3.3 BID EVALUATION PROCESS

Only responsive submissions will be evaluated.

The State will conduct an evaluation of responsive Bids, as follows:

Bids will be received according to the method stated in the Bid Submittal section above.

All bids must be received by the issuing agency not later than the date and time specified in the IFB SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum. Vendors are cautioned that this is a request for offers, not an offer or request to contract, and the State reserves the unqualified right to reject any and all offers at any time if such rejection is deemed to be in the best interest of the State.

At the date and time provided in the IFB SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum, the bids from each responding Vendor will be opened publicly and all offers (except those that have been previously withdrawn, or voided bids) will be tabulated. The tabulation shall be made public at the time it is created. When negotiations after receipt of bids is authorized pursuant to G.S. 143-49 and 01 NCAC 05B.0503, only the names of offerors and the Goods and Services offered shall be tabulated at the time of opening. Cost and price shall become available for public inspection at the time of the award.

Interested parties are cautioned that these costs and their components are subject to further evaluation for completeness and correctness and therefore may not be an exact indicator of a Vendor’s pricing position.

At their option, the evaluators may request oral presentations or discussions with any or all Vendors for clarification or to amplify the materials presented in any part of the bid. Vendors are cautioned, however, that the evaluators are not required to request presentations or other clarification—and often do not. Therefore, all bids should be complete and reflect the most favorable terms available from the Vendor. Prices bid cannot be altered or modified as part of a clarification.

Bids will generally be evaluated, based on completeness, content, cost and responsibility of the Vendor to supply the requested Goods and Services. Specific evaluation criteria are listed in Section 3.1 METHOD OF AWARD.

Upon completion of the evaluation process, the State will make Award(s) based on the evaluation and post the award(s) to the State’s eVP website under the IFB number for this solicitation. Award of a Contract to one Vendor does not mean that the other bids lacked merit, but that, all factors considered, the selected bid was deemed most advantageous and represented the best value to the State.

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The State reserves the right to negotiate with one or more Vendors, or to reject all original offers and negotiate with one or more sources of supply that may be capable of satisfying the requirement, and in either case to require Vendor to submit a

Best and Final Offer (BAFO) based on discussions and negotiations with the State.

3.4 PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

Vendor shall complete ATTACHMENT E: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR. In addition to any other evaluation criteria identified in this IFB, the State may also consider, for purposes of evaluating proposed or actual contract performance outside of the United States, how that performance may affect the following factors to ensure that any award will be in the best interest of the State:

a) Total cost to the State

b) Level of quality provided by the Vendor

c) Process and performance capability across multiple jurisdictions

d) Protection of the State’s information and intellectual property

e) Availability of pertinent skills

f) Ability to understand the State’s business requirements and internal operational culture

g) Particular risk factors such as the security of the State’s information technology

h) Relations with citizens and employees

i) Contract enforcement jurisdictional issues

3.5 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES

This IFB serves two functions: (1) to advise potential Vendors of the parameters of the solution being sought by the State; and (2) to provide (together with other specified documents) the terms of the Contract resulting from this procurement. The use of phrases such as “shall,” “must,” and “requirements” are intended to create enforceable contract conditions. In determining whether bids should be evaluated or rejected, the State will take into consideration the degree to which Vendors have proposed or failed to propose solutions that will satisfy the State’s needs as described in the IFB. Except as specifically stated in the IFB, no one requirement shall automatically disqualify a Vendor from consideration. However, failure to comply with any single requirement may result in the State exercising its discretion to reject a bid in its entirety.

4.0 REQUIREMENTS

This Section lists the requirements related to this IFB. By submitting a bid, the Vendor agrees to meet all stated requirements in this Section as well as any other specifications, requirements, and terms and conditions stated in this IFB. If a Vendor is unclear about a requirement or specification, or believes a change to a requirement would allow for the State to receive a better bid, the

Vendor is urged to submit these items in the form of a question during the question and answer period in accordance with the Bid

Questions Section above.

4.1 PRICING

Bid price shall constitute the total cost to the State for complete performance in accordance with the requirements and specifications herein, including all applicable charges for handling, transportation, administrative and other similar fees. Complete

ATTACHMENT A: PRICING FORM and include in Vendor’s response.

4.2 FINANCIAL STABILITY

As a condition of contract award, the Vendor must certify that it has the financial capacity to perform and to continue to perform its obligations under the Contract; that Vendor has no constructive or actual knowledge of an actual or potential legal proceeding being brought against Vendor that could materially adversely affect performance of this Contract; and that entering into this

Contract is not prohibited by any contract, or order by any court of competent jurisdiction.

Each Vendor shall certify it is financially stable by completing ATTACHMENT F: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION. The State is requiring this certification to minimize potential issues from contracting with a Vendor that is financially unstable. From the date of the Certification to the expiration of the Contract, the Vendor shall notify the State within thirty (30) days of any occurrence or

Ver: 07/2026 10 condition that materially alters the truth of any statement made in this Certification. The Contract Manager may require annual recertification of the Vendor’s financial stability.

4.3 VENDOR EXPERIENCE

In its Proposal, Vendor shall demonstrate experience with public and/or private sector clients with similar or greater size and complexity to the State. Vendor shall provide information as to the qualifications and experience of all professional personnel to be assigned to this project, including resumes citing experience with similar projects and the responsibilities to be assigned to each person.

Business counselors must exhibit experience and a thorough knowledge of new business formation, entrepreneurial assessment, creation of a business plan, sources of small business capital, legal considerations for small businesses, business legal structures, local resources, basic human resources considerations, OSHA regulations for small business, technology and website management, basic record-keeping and accounting practices, small business taxes, financing a small business, sales, market research, customer retention/customer experience, how to prepare for a bank loan, how to complete a grant proposal.

4.4 REFERENCES

Vendor shall provide at least three (3) references, using ATTACHMENT D: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM, for which it has provided services of similar size and scope to those proposed herein. References shall not be from the same company or from the soliciting

State entity. In addition, Vendor shall provide references for and identify other government contracts it has received, for which your company has provided services of similar size and scope. The State shall contact these users to determine whether the services provided are substantially similar in scope to those proposed herein and whether Vendor’s performance has been satisfactory. The information obtained shall be considered in the evaluation of the Bid.

4.5 BACKGROUND CHECKS

Any personnel or agent of Vendor performing Services under any Contract arising from this IFB may be required to undergo a background check at the expense of the Vendor, if so requested by the State.

4.6 PERSONNEL

Vendor warrants that qualified personnel shall provide Services under this Contract in a professional manner. “Professional manner” means that the personnel performing the Services will possess the skill and competence consistent with the prevailing business standards in the industry. Vendor will serve as the prime contractor under this Contract and shall be responsible for the performance and payment of all subcontractor(s) that may be approved by the State. Names of any third-party Vendors or subcontractors of Vendor may appear for purposes of convenience in Contract documents; and shall not limit Vendor’s obligations hereunder. Vendor will retain executive representation for functional and technical expertise as needed in order to incorporate any work by third party subcontractor(s).

Should the Vendor’s bid result in an award, the Vendor shall be required to agree that it will not substitute key personnel assigned to the performance of the Contract without prior written approval by the Contract Lead. Vendor shall further agree that it will notify the Contract Lead of any desired substitution, including the name(s) and references of Vendor’s recommended substitute personnel. The State will approve or disapprove the requested substitution in a timely manner. The State may, in its sole discretion, terminate the Services of any person providing Services under this Contract. Upon such termination, the State may request acceptable substitute personnel or terminate the contract Services provided by such personnel.

4.7 VENDOR’S REPRESENTATIONS

If Vendor’s bid results in an award, Vendor agrees that it will not enter any agreement with a third party that may abridge any rights of the State under the Contract. If any Services, deliverables, functions, or responsibilities not specifically described in this solicitation are required for Vendor’s proper performance, provision and delivery of the Service and deliverables under a resulting

Contract, or are an inherent part of or necessary sub-task included within such Service, they will be deemed to be implied by and

Ver: 07/2026 11 included within the scope of the Contract to the same extent and in the same manner as if specifically described in the Contract.

Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, Vendor will furnish all of its own necessary management, supervision, labor, facilities, furniture, computer and telecommunications equipment, software, supplies and materials necessary for the Vendor to provide and deliver the Services and/or other Deliverables.

4.8 AGENCY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

A. Default Insurance Coverage from the General Terms and Conditions applicable to this Solicitation:

☒ Small Purchases

☐ Contract value in excess of the Small Purchase threshold, but up to $1,000,000.00

☐ Contract value in excess of $1,000,000.00

4.9 SUBCONTRACTORS

No portion of the work shall be subcontracted without prior written consent of the State. In the event that the Vendor desires to subcontract some part of the work specified herein, the Vendor shall furnish with their bid the names, qualifications, and experience of their proposed subcontractors. The Vendor shall, however, remain solely and fully liable and responsible for the work done by its subcontractor(s) and shall assure compliance with all the requirements and specifications of the contract.

4.10 SECRETARY OF STATE REGISTRATION

Prior to entering into a contract with the State, the awarded Vendor(s) must complete registration with the NC Secretary of State.

Upon notification of award, the selected Vendor(s) must furnish evidence of filing within 10 business days. Failure to provide this documentation may result in the disqualification of the Vendor(s) bid from further consideration for the award. No purchase orders shall be issued prior to confirmation of completed registration with the Secretary of State.

A contract award under the above-referenced solicitation, and the resulting purchase orders, will produce repeated orders and transactions in North Carolina and will constitute “transacting business” in the State, which requires a certificate of authority from the North Carolina Secretary of State as provided in G.S. §55-15-01 (corporations) or §57D-7-01 (LLCs). Please go to: https://www.sosnc.gov/ to register.

Vendor registered with the North Carolina Secretary of State: Yes☐ No ☐

5.0 SPECIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF WORK

The Small Business Center offers individual client business counseling. This service is offered free of charge and is confidential.

Counseling can be conducted via phone, email, virtual, or in-person. Vendors must follow the SBCN Counseling Program Guidelines.

Guest Counselors shall maintain high professional standards of conduct, avoid conflicts of interest, and use good judgment in counseling clients. Guest Counselors shall not accept a client where the counselor has an opportunity for personal, familial, or financial gain. All Guest Counselors will individually sign and adhere to the SBC’s Confidentiality Agreement.

One-on-one counseling sessions assist prospective and existing small business owners in every stage of their business life cycle. All client information that they share, and the discussions they have with the business advisor, will be held in strict confidence.

Counseling topics may include the same areas of expertise as the training topics. The amount of counseling required each month is solely dependent upon client interest. In the past this ranged from 17 to 35 hours per month.

Upon receipt of a request for counseling, the counselor must respond to the inquiry within 3 business days. An initial counseling session must be at least 30 minutes in length. All counseling must be documented using the SBCN Client Management system.

https://www.sosnc.gov/

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5.1 SPECIFICATIONS

The specific items and any specifications that the Procurement Entity is seeking are listed below. Items offered by the Vendor must meet or exceed the listed Specifications to be considered for award. Please provide an explanation and/or documentation to show how vendor will meet the following specifications.

5.2 TASKS/DELIVERABLES

The vendor shall provide the following as part of their scope:

● Instructors/Company must sign the North Carolina Community College System Small Business Center Network Contractor Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Agreement.

● All counselors must report on economic impact following SBCN guidelines. The impact area definitions are as follows:

Jobs Created, Jobs Sustained, Debt Financing, Owner Financing, Equity Financing, Number of counseling hours, Number of clients served

● The initial counseling session must be at least 30 minutes in length and occur within 48 hours of contact; follow up counseling sessions may be of any length.

● Initial counseling sessions should screen for referral to other appropriate persons or agencies and /or follow-up counseling or training.

● All counseling will be documented using the SBCN Client Management System policies, procedures, and documentation, and shall be conducted under the guidance and direction of the SBC College Director.

5.3 DEVIATIONS

The nature of all deviations from the Specifications listed herein shall be clearly described by the Vendor. Otherwise, it will be considered that items offered by the Vendor are in strict compliance with the Specifications provided herein, and the successful

Vendor shall be required to supply conforming goods. Deviations shall be explained in detail on an attached sheet. However, no implication is made or intended by the State that any deviation will be acceptable. Do not list objections to the North Carolina

General Terms and Conditions in this section.

VENDOR’S RESPONSE

Item # Specifications

Product/Service Offered Meets Specification

1 Provide counselor(s) that meet qualifications & experience guidelines identified in section 4.3

☐ YES ☐ NO

2 Identify a clear methodology for client intake, needs assessment, ongoing counseling, referral networks and tracking client business outcomes

3 Have a demonstrated track record for managing similar counseling programs, client satisfaction metrics and verified feedback from provided sources.

☐ YES ☐ NO

4 Vendor must agree that automated AI meeting bots, notetakers, or recording scripts (such as Read.ai or Otter.ai) are strictly prohibited in live, virtual, or hybrid sessions to safeguard privacy and security.

Ver: 07/2026 13

6.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

All Contract Administration requirements are conditioned on an award resulting from this solicitation. This information is provided for the Vendor’s planning purposes.

6.1 CONTRACT MANAGER AND CUSTOMER SERVICE

The Vendor shall be required to designate and make available to the State a contract manager. The contract manager shall be the State’s point of contact for Contract related issues and issues concerning performance, progress review, scheduling, and service.

Contract Manager Point of Contact

Name:

Office Phone #:

Mobile Phone #:

Email:

6.2 INVOICES

Vendor shall invoice Southwestern Community College (SCC) directly. The standard format for invoicing shall be Single Invoices meaning that the Vendor shall provide SCC with an invoice for each month of service. Invoices shall include detailed information to allow Procurement Entity to verify pricing at point of receipt matches the correct price from the original date of order. The following fields shall be included on all invoices, as relevant:

Vendor’s Billing Address, Customer Account Number, NC Contract Number, Order Date, Buyer’s Order Number, Manufacturer Part Numbers, Vendor Part Numbers, Item Descriptions, Price, Quantity, and Unit of Measure.

6.3 POST AWARD BUSINESS REVIEW MEETINGS

The Vendor, at the request of the State, shall be required to meet at least monthly with the State for Business Review meetings.

The purpose of these meetings will be to review project progress reports, discuss Vendor and State performance, address outstanding issues, review problem resolution, provide direction, evaluate continuous improvement and cost saving ideas, and discuss any other pertinent topics.

6.4 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The State encourages the Vendor to identify opportunities to reduce the total cost the State. A continuous improvement effort consists of various ways to enhance business efficiencies as performance progresses.

6.5 PERIODIC MONTHLY REPORTS

The Vendor shall be required to provide monthly activity reports included with monthly invoices. The Vendor shall submit the reports in a timely manner and on a regular schedule as agreed by the parties.

6.6 ACCEPTANCE OF WORK

Performance of the work and/or delivery of Goods shall be conducted and completed at least in accordance with the Contract requirements and recognized and customarily accepted industry practices. Performance shall be considered complete when the

Services or Goods are approved as acceptable by the Contract Manager.

Acceptance of Vendor’s work product shall be based on the following criteria:

● All services provided and reported

● Monthly invoices submitted

Ver: 07/2026 14

The State shall have the obligation to notify Vendor, in writing ten (10) calendar days following completion of such work or delivery of a deliverable described in the Contract that it is not acceptable. The notice shall specify in reasonable detail the reason(s) it is unacceptable. Acceptance by the State shall not be unreasonably withheld; but may be conditioned or delayed as required for reasonable review, evaluation, installation, or testing, as applicable to the work or deliverable. Final acceptance is expressly conditioned upon completion of all applicable assessment procedures. Should the work or deliverables fail to meet any specifications, acceptance criteria or otherwise fail to conform to the Contract, the State may exercise any and all rights hereunder, including, for Goods deliverables, such rights provided by the Uniform Commercial Code, as adopted in North Carolina.

6.7 TRANSITION ASSISTANCE

If a Contract results from this solicitation, and the Contract is not renewed at the end of the last active term, or is canceled prior to its expiration, for any reason, Vendor shall provide transition assistance to the State, at the option of the State, for up to ____

2 months to allow for the expired or canceled portion of the Services to continue without interruption or adverse effect, and to facilitate the orderly transfer of such Services to the State or its designees. If the State exercises this option, the Parties agree that such transition assistance shall be governed by the terms and conditions of the Contract (notwithstanding this expiration or cancellation), except for those Contract terms or conditions that do not reasonably apply to such transition assistance. The State shall agree to pay Vendor for any resources utilized in performing such transition assistance at the most current rates provided by the Contract for performance of the Services or other resources utilized.

6.8 DISPUTE RESOLUTION

During the performance of the Contract, the parties agree that it is in their mutual interest to resolve disputes informally. Any claims by the Vendor shall be submitted in writing to the State’s Contract Manager for resolution. Any claims by the State shall be submitted in writing to the Vendor’s Project Manager for resolution. The Parties shall agree to negotiate in good faith and use all reasonable efforts to resolve such dispute(s).

During the time the Parties are attempting to resolve any dispute, each shall proceed diligently to perform their respective duties and responsibilities under this Contract. The Parties will agree on a reasonable amount of time to resolve a dispute. If a dispute cannot be resolved between the Parties within the agreed upon period, either Party may elect to exercise any other remedies available under the Contract, or at law. This provision, when agreed in the Contract, shall not constitute an agreement by either party to mediate or arbitrate any dispute.

6.9 CONTRACT CHANGES

Contract changes, if any, over the life of the Contract shall be implemented by contract amendments agreed to in writing by the

State and Vendor. Amendments to the contract can only be made through the contract administrator.

THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

Ver: 07/2026 15

7.0 ATTACHMENTS

**IMPORTANT NOTICE**

RETURN THE REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS WITH YOUR RESPONSE

FOLLOW THE LINKS TO ACCESS EACH ATTACHMENT

ATTACHMENT A: PRICING

Complete and return the Pricing associated with this IFB, which can be found in the table below:

Item

Service Provided Unit Price/Hr

1 Counseling Services (17 to 35 hrs/month)

Yearly estimated total based on 25 hrs/month

Ver: 07/2026 16

ATTACHMENT C: NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS

The North Carolina General Terms and Conditions, which are incorporated herein by this reference, may be found here:

https://www.doa.nc.gov/north-carolina-general-terms-and-conditions-5-2025/open

ATTACHMENT D: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM

Complete and return the Customer Reference Form, which can be found at the following link:

https://ncadmin.nc.gov/media/15503/open

ATTACHMENT E: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR

Complete and return the Location of Workers Utilized by Vendor, which can be found at the following link:

https://www.doa.nc.gov/pandc/onlineforms/pc-worker-location-92021-pdf/open

ATTACHMENT F: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

Complete, sign, and return the Certification of Financial Condition, which can be found at the following link:

https://www.doa.nc.gov/pandc/onlineforms/pc-certification-financial-condition-92021-pdf/open https://www.doa.nc.gov/north-carolina-general-terms-and-conditions-5-2025/open https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fncadmin.nc.gov%2Fmedia%2F15503%2Fopen&data=05%7C02%7Cjonathan.davis%40doa.nc.gov%7Cf298a5b0a18e4016d32908dc692f5e36%7C7a7681dcb9d0449a85c3ecc26cd7ed19%7C0%7C0%7C638500899363455583%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Se0VOx%2Fjf4cx8k4yLIIQae7kkNtrpbCiXU4%2F7fCSBNo%3D&reserved=0 https://www.doa.nc.gov/pandc/onlineforms/pc-worker-location-92021-pdf/open https://www.doa.nc.gov/pandc/onlineforms/pc-certification-financial-condition-92021-pdf/open