Student Chromebook Refresh (#198-11172025) (1).pdf

Request for Proposal #198-11172025 Student Chromebook Refresh

Date of issue: November 17, 2025

Proposal Opening Date: December 15, 2025

At 8:00AM ET

Direct all inquiries concerning this RFP to:

Jackie Parker

Executive Director of Digital Teaching and Learning

Email: isstechrfp@iss.k12.nc.us

EXECUTION

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

Iredell-Statesville Schools Refer ALL Inquiries regarding this RFP to:

Jackie Parker Iredell-Statesville Schools

292 Old Murdock Rd.

Troutman, NC 28166 isstechrfp@iss.k12.nc.us

Request for Proposal #198-11172025

Proposals will be publicly opened: December 15, 2025 at

8:00AM

Description: Student Chromebook Refresh

Using Agency: Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education

(I-SS)

In compliance with this Request for Proposals, 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 proposal, the undersigned Vendor certifies that this proposal is submitted competitively and without collusion (G.S.

143-54), that 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 that it is not an ineligible Vendor as set forth in G.S. 143-59.1. False certification is a Class I felony. Furthermore, by executing this proposal, 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 RFP, 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. 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 Contract; or awarding or administering public Contracts; or inspecting or supervising delivery of the public Contract of any gift from anyone with a Contract with I-SS, or from any person seeking to do business with I-SS. By execution of this response to the RFP, the undersigned certifies, for your entire organization and its employees or agents, that you are not aware that any such gift has been offered, accepted, or promised by any employees of your organization.

Failure to execute/sign a proposal prior to submission shall render the proposal invalid and it WILL BE REJECTED. Late proposals cannot be accepted.

BIDDER:

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 #10):

PRINT NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING ON BEHALF OF Vendor: FAX NUMBER:

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE: DATE: EMAIL:

Offer valid for at least 60 days from date of proposal opening, unless otherwise stated here: ______ days. After this time, any withdrawal of offer shall be made in writing, effective upon receipt by the agency issuing this RFP.

ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSAL

If any or all parts of this proposal are accepted by I-SS, an authorized representative of The Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education shall affix his/her signature hereto and this document and all provisions of this Request For Proposal along with the Vendor proposal response and the written results of any negotiations shall then constitute the written agreement between the parties. A copy of this acceptance will be forwarded to the successful Vendor.

For the Iredell-Statesville Board of Education USE ONLY:

Offer accepted and Contract awarded this ____ day of _______________, 20___, as indicated on the attached certification, by ___________________________________________________________________________ (Authorized Representative of Iredell-Statesville Schools)

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Proposal Number: #198-11172025 Vendor: __________________________________________

PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

Iredell-Statesville Public Schools (I-SS) in North Carolina is accepting proposals for the purchase of approximately 12,000 (+/- 10%) non-touch Chromebooks for use with Middle and High School students. I-SS reserves the right to purchase quantities of various bidded devices totaling the quantity mentioned above. Quantities are based on the average student population for the last calendar year. While we aim to refresh devices for all of our middle and high schools, I-SS reserves the right to adjust the quantity purchased based on School Board approval.

Proposals shall be submitted in accordance with the terms and conditions of this RFP and any addenda issued hereto. Delivery of equipment to I-SS will be scheduled on or before April 30, 2025.

GENERAL INFORMATION

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENT

The RFP consists of the base RFP document, any attachments, and any addenda released before Contract award. All attachments and addenda released for this RFP in advance of any Contract award are incorporated herein by reference.

NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS

It shall be the Vendor’s responsibility to read the Instructions, I-SS’s terms and conditions, all relevant exhibits and attachments, and any other components made a part of this RFP, and comply with all requirements and specifications herein. Vendors also are responsible for obtaining and complying with all Addenda and other changes that may be issued in connection with this RFP.

If Vendors have questions, issues, or exceptions regarding any term, condition, or other component within this RFP, those must be submitted as questions in accordance with the instructions in Section PROPOSAL QUESTIONS. If I-SS 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 RFP addendum. I-SS may also elect to leave open the possibility for later negotiation and amendment of specific provisions of the Contract that have been addressed during the question and answer period. Other than through this process, I-SS rejects and will not be required to evaluate or consider any additional or modified terms and conditions submitted with Vendor's proposal. This applies to any language appearing in or attached to the document as part of the Vendor’s proposal that purports to vary any terms and conditions or Vendors’ instructions herein or to render the proposal non-binding or subject to further negotiation. Vendor’s proposal shall constitute a Vendor offer. By execution and delivery of this RFP 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. Noncompliance with, or any attempt to alter or delete, this paragraph shall constitute sufficient grounds to reject Vendor’s proposal as non responsive.

PROPOSAL SCHEDULE

The table below shows the intended schedule for this RFP. The Contract Lead will make every effort to adhere to this schedule.

Event Responsibility Date Issue RFP I-SS November 17, 2025 Submit Questions via email Vendor by 5:00 PM November 21, 2025 Provide Response to Questions online link I-SS by 5:00 PM November 25, 2025 Submit Proposals via email Vendor by 5:00 PM December 12, 2025 Publicly Open Bids I-SS 8:00 AM December 15, 2025 Proposal Award and Vendor Notification January 2026

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Board of Education votes on approval of purchase (PO issued upon Board approval)

I-SS February 2026

PROPOSAL QUESTIONS

Upon review of the RFP documents, Vendors may have questions to clarify or interpret the RFP in order to submit the best proposal possible. To accommodate the Proposal Questions process, Vendors shall submit any such questions by 5:00 PM November 21, 2025

Written questions shall be emailed to isstechrfp@iss.k12.nc.us by the date specified above. Vendors should enter “RFP #198-11172025 - Questions” as the subject for the email. Questions submittals should include a reference to the applicable RFP section and be submitted in a format shown below:

Reference Vendor Question RFP Section, Page Number Vendor question …?

Questions received prior to the submission deadline date and any additional terms deemed necessary by I-SS will be posted via this online link. No information, instruction or advice provided orally or informally by any I-SS personnel, whether made in response to a question or otherwise in connection with this RFP, shall be considered authoritative or binding. Vendors shall rely only on written material contained in an Addendum to this RFP. No verbal answers will be provided. Vendors are responsible for checking the questions and answers document for updates and answers.

PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL

Proposals, subject to the conditions made a part hereof and the receipt requirements described below, shall be received at the email address indicated in the table below, for furnishing and delivering those items or services as described herein.

EMAIL ADDRESS FOR DELIVERY OF

PROPOSAL

isstechrfp@iss.k12.nc.us

Subject Line: #198-11172025 - Proposal

IMPORTANT NOTE: All proposals shall be delivered to the email address listed above on or before the proposal deadline (5:00 pm December 12, 2025). This is an absolute requirement. Regardless of cause, late proposals will not be accepted and will be automatically disqualified from further consideration. It is the sole responsibility of the Vendor to have the proposal to this email address by the specified deadline. The time of delivery will be time stamped with the incoming email proposal.

DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS

a) BAFO: Best and Final Offer, submitted by a Vendor to alter its initial offer, made in response to a request by the issuing agency.

b) BUYER: The employee of I-SS or Other Eligible Entity that places an order with the Vendor.

c) QUALIFIED PROPOSAL: A responsive proposal submitted by a responsible Vendor.

d) RFP: Request for Proposal

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e) VENDOR: Supplier, bidder, proposer, provider, company, Vendor, corporation, partnership, individual or other entity submitting a response to a Request for Proposal.

METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

METHOD OF AWARD

All qualified proposals will be evaluated and awarded to the Vendor meeting the RFP requirements and achieving the highest and best final evaluation, based on the criteria described below.

CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION

During the evaluation period—from the date proposals are opened through the date the contract is awarded—each Vendor submitting a proposal (including its representatives) 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 purchaser named above, department secretary, agency head, members of the general assembly and/or governor’s office), or private entity, if the communication refers to the content of Vendor’s proposal or qualifications, the contents of another Vendor’s proposal, another Vendor's qualifications or ability to perform the 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 and/or the award of the contract. A Vendor not in compliance with this provision shall be disqualified from contract award, unless it is determined in the I-SS’s discretion that the communication was harmless, that it was made without intent to influence and that the best interest of I-SS would not be served by the disqualification. A Vendor’s proposal may be disqualified if its subcontractor and supplier engage in any of the foregoing communications during the time that the procurement is active (i.e., the issuance date of the procurement to the date of contract award). Only those discussions, communications or transmittals of information authorized or initiated by the issuing agency for this RFP or general inquiries directed to the purchaser regarding requirements of the RFP (prior to proposal submission) or the status of the contract award (after submission) are excepted from this provision.

PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

I-SS shall review all Vendor responses to this RFP to confirm that they meet the specifications and requirements of the RFP. I-SS reserves the right to waive any minor informality or technicality in proposals received.

I-SS reserves the right to reject all original offers and request one or more of the Vendors submitting proposals within a competitive range to submit a best and final offer (BAFO), based on discussions and negotiations with I-SS, if the initial responses to the RFP have been evaluated and determined to be unsatisfactory.

I-SS reserves the right to interview any potential Vendor during the evaluation process. Vendors are cautioned, however, that the evaluators are not required to request presentations or other clarification—and often do not;

therefore, all proposals must be complete and reflect the most favorable terms available from the Vendor.

Upon completion of the evaluation process, I-SS will make an Award based on the evaluation and email all Vendors the results. Award of a Contract to one Vendor does not mean that the other proposals lacked merit, but that, all factors considered, the selected proposal was deemed most advantageous and represented the best value to I-SS.

Vendors are cautioned that this is a request for proposals, not a request to contract, and I-SS 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 I-SS.

Proposals will generally be evaluated according to completeness, content, experience with similar projects, ability of the offer and its staff, and cost.

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EVALUATION CRITERIA

This is a “BEST VALUE” procurement and as such, award will not necessarily be made to the vendor submitting the lowest priced proposal. Award will be made to the Vendor submitting the best responsive proposal. The evaluation committee evaluating the proposals submitted in response to this RFP may require any or all contractors to give an oral presentation in order to clarify or elaborate on their proposal.

The evaluation committee will evaluate and score each proposal in order to determine best value using the following predetermined criteria:

Evaluation Criteria Weighted Points

Device Specifications 20

Unit price as requested in RFP 20

Partner Requests as listed in RFP 20

Warranty / Accidental Damage 15

Payment Plan / Lease Terms 10

References 10

I-SS prior experience with vendor 5

Extra Points for add ons by the vendor (1 point per add on feature or service)

Total Points 100

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REQUIREMENTS

This Section lists the requirements related to this RFP. By submitting a proposal, 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 RFP. If a Vendor is unclear about a requirement or specification or believes a change to a requirement would allow for I-SS to receive a better proposal, the Vendor is urged and cautioned to submit these items in the form of a question during the question and answer period.

DEVICE/LICENSE SPECIFICATIONS:

Device/License Specifications

Chromebook: Acer C737 or C936, Lenovo 14e G3 or Lenovo 500e G4s or equivalent

We would like pricing for non-touch versions of BOTH an 11in and 14in screen minimum 8GB RAM

64GB HD

Processor: Intel, Mediatek 8189 or equivalent

Ports: USB-A, USB-C, headphone (optional: HDMI, ethernet, additional USB-C)

Mother/Daughter Board

Chrome OS License

*Included in the quote for Chromebook specifications (as a separate line item) is the OPTIONAL cost of Google Workspace for Education Standard or Google Workspace for Education Plus licensing.

PROVIDER/PARTNER REQUESTS:

Provider/ Partner Requests

1. White Glove Services

a. Device Preparation and Delivery

i. Provider works with I-SS to develop a jointly agreed upon schedule of services.

ii. Un-Box and thoroughly inspect items for any physical damage or blemishes. Identify and report any to the manufacturer for replacement.

iii. Asset tags provided and applied by the vendor.

1. Asset tags should not be easily removable and intended to last the life of the device.

2. Asset tags should include the following:

a. Property of Iredell-Statesville Schools,

b. Asset Tag Number listed in text below a scannable barcode

c. Serial number listed in text below a scannable barcode

iv. Vendor will provide a manifest spreadsheet listing the device serial number, asset tag and location devices were delivered to

v. A count of devices per location will be provided by I-SS.

vi. Vendor will provide delivery to each of our middle and high school locations individually within 60 days (by the end of April 2026) after the purchase order is executed.

2. Chrome Enrollment

a. Chrome devices are to be enrolled into Iredell-Statesville’s Google domain

b. Chrome OS to be updated to the latest stable release

3. Accidental Damage / Warranty

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a. Full description of terms and conditions of insurance coverage

b. Minimum of 5yr accidental damage / warranty coverage on all Chromebooks.

c. The proposal must list component coverage limitations.

d. Accidental damage coverage must not require discretionary items, such as cases to be on a device as a prerequisite for coverage.

e. Accidental damage coverage should include:

i. battery

ii. lost/theft (with police report)

iii. charger damage

iv. unlimited instances per device

v. $0 deductible per instance

f. Accidental damage coverage must use authentic original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts when repairs are required.

g. Spare devices (min 2%) should be provided to the district to be used as loaner devices.

h. I-SS should be provided with a web portal for repairs.

i. Accidental damage coverage must allow Iredell-Statesville the ability to become an authorized

OEM self-maintainer if desired. A repair parts locker including, but not limited to screens, keyboards, and daughter boards should be provided by the provider.

i. provide program parameters and rate reimbursement schedule for the self-maintainer program.

j. Accidental damage coverage must have repairs completed by an authorized OEM repair center with certified repair technicians.

k. Accidental damage coverage must transfer to any replacement devices provided by the provider.

l. Details of the warranty coverage and services must also be included in the proposal.

m. If accidental damage coverage is provided by a third party, other than the device manufacturer, the

ADP should be underwritten by insurance.

n. Vendor should provide a local company contact that can be onsite when requested.

o. Warranty coverage will align with the school year of deployment of devices to students and not the date of shipment to the district.

p. All costs related to shipping devices to and from for repair must be covered by the provider.

Packing and shipping materials should be provided which can include bulk shipping materials.

OPTIONAL REQUESTS:

● “Milk Run” pickup/return of devices needing repair beyond self maintainer repairs.

● Online portal for parents to purchase replacement chargers

UNIT PRICING:

Unit Pricing

1. Provide itemized pricing per device unit. Itemized pricing should include, but not limited to:

a. cost of device

b. shipping* (see note below)

c. warranty

d. accidental damage

e. provisioning

f. white glove service

g. Chrome OS license

2. Provide the above pricing breakdown for a device with an 11in screen AND for a device with a 14in screen

3. Included in the quote for Chromebook specifications (as a separate line item) is the OPTIONAL cost of

Google Workspace for Education Standard or Google Workspace for Education Plus licensing.

*Vendor will ship designated amounts to I-SS middle and high school locations (approx. 20 locations) provided by the I-SS Digital Teaching & Learning Dept. Schools, address and quantities will be provided at the execution of the

Ver: 11/12/2025 Page 7 of 18 purchase contract. Any amount over current student enrollment in above mentioned schools will be shipped to the centralized district warehouse.

PAYMENT/FINANCING

Payment / Financing

1. Bids should include 2 payment options

a. Full cost, cash pricing (one-time payment)

b. Financing (lease/purchase, installment/purchase) with $1 buy-out option for a lease at contract end

2. Financing period for a lease, lease/purchase, or installment/purchase shall not exceed 4 years.

3. Additional orders (new enrollments, etc), in the same model family, in varying quantities, may be purchased throughout the term of the contract at the unit price above.

VENDOR EXPERIENCE

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

REFERENCES

Vendors shall provide at least three (3) references for which your company has provided services of similar size and scope to that proposed herein. I-SS may contact these users to determine the services provided are substantially similar in scope to those proposed herein and Vendor’s performance has been satisfactory. The information obtained may be considered in the evaluation of the proposal.

COMPANY NAME CONTACT NAME TELEPHONE NUMBER

PERSONNEL

Vendor shall not substitute key personnel assigned to the performance of this Contract without prior written approval by the Contract Lead. Vendor shall notify the Contract Lead of any desired substitution, including the name(s) and references of Vendor’s recommended substitute personnel. I-SS will approve or disapprove the requested substitution in a timely manner. I-SS may, in its sole discretion, terminate the services of any person providing services under this Contract. Upon such termination, I-SS may request acceptable substitute personnel or terminate the contract services provided by such personnel.

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VENDOR’S REPRESENTATIONS

a) 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 agrees that it will not enter any agreement with a third party that may abridge any rights of I-SS under this Contract.

b) If any services, deliverables, functions, or responsibilities not specifically described in this Contract are required for Vendor’s proper performance, provision and delivery of the service and deliverables under this Contract, or are an inherent part of or necessary sub-task included within such service, they will be deemed to be implied by and 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 Deliverables.

c) Vendor warrants 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.

a. Provide a letter of good standing from Vendor’s primary financial institution.

SCOPE OF WORK

The purpose of the Request for Proposal (RFP) is to obtain bids for non-touch Chromebooks for student use. The Vendor will be expected to fulfill all requirements of this agreement.

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ATTACHMENT A: INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

1. READ, REVIEW AND COMPLY: It shall be the Vendor’s responsibility to read this entire document, review all enclosures and attachments, and any addenda thereto, and comply with all requirements specified herein, regardless of whether appearing in these Instructions to Vendors or elsewhere in this RFP document.

2. LATE PROPOSALS: Late proposals, regardless of cause, will not be opened or considered, and will automatically be disqualified from further consideration. It shall be the Vendor’s sole responsibility to ensure delivery at the designated office by the designated time.

3. ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION: I-SS reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to waive any informality in proposals and, unless otherwise specified by the Vendor, to accept any item in the proposal.

4. BASIS FOR REJECTION: Pursuant to 01 NCAC 05B .0501, I-SS reserves the right to reject any and all offers, in whole or in part, by deeming the offer unsatisfactory as to quality or quantity, delivery, price or service offered, non-compliance with the requirements or intent of this solicitation, lack of competitiveness, error(s) in specifications or indications that revision would be advantageous to I-SS, cancellation or other changes in the intended project or any other determination that the proposed requirement is no longer needed, limitation or lack of available funds, circumstances that prevent determination of the best offer, or any other determination that rejection would be in the best interest of I-SS.

5. EXECUTION: Failure to sign EXECUTION PAGE in the indicated space will render proposal non-responsive, and it shall be rejected.

6. ORDER OF PRECEDENCE: In cases of conflict between specific provisions in this solicitation or those in any resulting contract, the order of precedence shall be (high to low) (1) any special terms and conditions specific to this RFP, including any negotiated terms; (2) requirements and specifications in Sections 2, 3, 4, and 5 of this RFP;

(3) North Carolina General Contract Terms and Conditions in ATTACHMENT B: NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS; (4) Instructions in ATTACHMENT A: INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS;

and (5) Vendor’s Proposal.

7. INFORMATION AND DESCRIPTIVE LITERATURE: Vendor shall furnish all information requested and in the spaces provided in this document. Further, if required elsewhere in this proposal, each Vendor must submit with their proposal sketches, descriptive literature and/or complete specifications covering the products offered.

Reference to literature submitted with a previous proposal or available elsewhere will not satisfy this provision.

Proposals that do not comply with these requirements shall be subject to rejection without further consideration.

8. HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESSES: I-SS is committed to retaining Vendors from diverse backgrounds, and it invites and encourages participation in the procurement process by businesses owned by minorities, women, disabled, disabled business enterprises and non-profit work centers for the blind and severely disabled. In particular, I-SS encourages participation by Vendors certified by the State Office of Historically Underutilized Businesses, as well as the use of HUB-certified vendors as subcontractors on State contracts.

9. RECIPROCAL PREFERENCE: G.S. 143-59 establishes a reciprocal preference requirement to discourage other states from favoring their own resident Vendors by applying a percentage increase to the price of any proposal from a North Carolina resident Vendor. To the extent another state does so, North Carolina applies the same percentage increase to the proposal of a vendor resident in that state. Residency is determined by a Vendor’s “Principal Place of Business,” defined as that principal place from which the overall trade or business of the Vendor is directed or managed.G.S.

10. INELIGIBLE VENDORS: As provided in G.S. 147-86.59 and G.S. 147-86.82, the following companies are

Ver: 11/12/2025 Page 10 of 18 ineligible to contract with the State of North Carolina or any political subdivision of the State: a) any company identified as engaging in investment activities in Iran, as determined by appearing on the Final Divestment List created by the State Treasurer pursuant to G.S. 147-86.58, and b) any company identified as engaged in a boycott of Israel as determined by appearing on the List of restricted companies created by the State Treasurer pursuant to G.S. 147-86.81. A contract with I-SS by any company identified in a) or b) above shall be void ab initio.

11. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION: To the extent permitted by applicable statutes and rules, I-SS will maintain confidential trade secrets that the Vendor does not wish disclosed. As a condition to confidential treatment, each page containing trade secret information shall be identified in boldface at the top and bottom as “CONFIDENTIAL” by the Vendor, with specific trade secret information enclosed in boxes or similar indication. Cost information shall not be deemed confidential under any circumstances. Regardless of what a Vendor may label as a trade secret, the determination whether it is or is not entitled to protection will be determined in accordance with G.S. 132-1.2.

Any material labeled as confidential constitutes a representation by the Vendor that it has made a reasonable effort in good faith to determine that such material is, in fact, a trade secret under G.S. 132-1.2. Vendors are urged and cautioned to limit the marking of information as a trade secret or as confidential so far as is possible. If a legal action is brought to require the disclosure of any material so marked as confidential, I-SS will notify Vendor of such action and allow Vendor to defend the confidential status of its information.

12.PROTEST PROCEDURES: The parties agree that it is in their mutual interest to resolve disputes informally.

When a Vendor wishes to protest a Contract resulting from this solicitation that is awarded by I-SS, a Vendor shall submit a written request addressed to Adam Steele, CFO, Iredell-Statesville Schools, PO Box 911, Statesville, NC 28687. The protest request must be received by Adam Steele within thirty (30) consecutive calendar days from the date of the Contract award. Protest letters shall contain specific grounds and reasons for the protest, how the protesting party was harmed by the award made and any documentation providing support for the protesting party’s claims.

13. MISCELLANEOUS: Any gender-specific pronouns used herein, whether masculine or feminine, shall be read and construed as gender neutral, and the singular of any word or phrase shall be read to include the plural and vice versa.

14. COMMUNICATIONS BY VENDORS: In submitting its proposal, the Vendor agrees not to discuss or otherwise reveal the contents of its proposal to any source, government or private, outside of I-SS until after the award of the Contract or cancellation of this RFP. All Vendors are forbidden from having any communications with I-SS, or any other representative of I-SS concerning the solicitation, during the evaluation of the proposals (i.e., after the public opening of the proposals and before the award of the Contract), unless I-SS directly contacts the Vendor(s) for purposes of seeking clarification or another reason permitted by the solicitation. A Vendor shall not: (a) transmit to I-SS any information commenting on the ability or qualifications of any other Vendor to provide the advertised good, equipment, commodity; (b) identify defects, errors and/or omissions in any other Vendor’s proposal and/or prices at any time during the procurement process; and/or (c) engage in or attempt any other communication or conduct that could influence the evaluation and/or award of the Contract that is the subject of this RFP. Failure to comply with this requirement shall constitute sufficient justification to disqualify a Vendor from a Contract award.

Only those communications with I-SS authorized by this RFP are permitted.

15. TABULATIONS: Proposal tabulations can be received from the Contract Lead.

16.WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSAL: a Proposal may be withdrawn only in writing and actually received by the office issuing the RFP prior to the time for the opening of Proposals identified on the cover page of this RFP (or such later date included in an Addendum to the RFP). A withdrawal request must be on Vendor’s letterhead and signed by an official of the Vendor authorized to make such request. Any withdrawal request made after the opening of Proposals shall be allowed only for good cause shown and is the sole discretion of Iredell-Statesville Schools.

17. INFORMAL COMMENTS: I-SS shall not be bound by informal explanations, instructions or information given at any time by anyone on behalf of I-SS during the competitive process or after award. I-SS is bound only by

Ver: 11/12/2025 Page 11 of 18 information provided in this RFP and in formal Addenda issued.

18.COST FOR PROPOSAL PREPARATION: Any costs incurred by Vendor in preparing or submitting offers are the Vendor’s sole responsibility; I-SS will not reimburse any Vendor for any costs incurred prior to award.

19.VENDORS REPRESENTATIVE: Each Vendor shall submit with its proposal the name, address, and telephone number of the person(s) with authority to bind the Vendor and answer questions or provide clarification concerning the Vendor's proposal.

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ATTACHMENT B: NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL CONTRACT TERMS & CONDITIONS

1. PERFORMANCE AND DEFAULT: If, through any cause, Vendor shall fail to fulfill in timely and proper manner the obligations under this contract, I-SS shall have the right to terminate this contract by giving written notice to the Vendor and specifying the effective date thereof. In that event, all finished or unfinished deliverable items under this contract prepared by the Vendor shall, at the option of I-SS, become its property, and the Vendor shall be entitled to receive just and equitable compensation for any acceptable work completed on such materials.

Notwithstanding, Vendor shall not be relieved of liability to I-SS for damages sustained by I-SS by virtue of any breach of this contract, and I-SS may withhold any payment due the Vendor for the purpose of setoff until such time as the exact amount of damages due I-SS from such breach can be determined. I-SS reserves the right to require at any time a performance bond or other acceptable alternative performance guarantees from a Vendor without expense to I-SS.

In case of default by the Vendor, I-SS may procure the goods and services necessary to complete performance hereunder from other sources and hold the Vendor responsible for any excess cost occasioned thereby. In addition, in the event of default by the Vendor under this contract, or upon the Vendor filing a petition for bankruptcy or the entering of a judgment of bankruptcy by or against the Vendor, I-SS may immediately cease doing business with the Vendor, immediately terminate this contract for cause, and may act to debar the Vendor from doing future business with I-SS.

2. GOVERNMENTAL RESTRICTIONS: In the event any Governmental restrictions are imposed which necessitate alteration of the material, quality, workmanship or performance of the goods or services offered prior to their delivery, it shall be the responsibility of the Vendor to notify, in writing, the Contract Lead at once, indicating the specific regulation which required such alterations. I-SS reserves the right to accept any such alterations, including any price adjustments occasioned thereby, or to cancel the Contract.

3. AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS: Any and all payments to the Vendor shall be dependent upon and subject to the availability of funds to the agency for the purpose set forth in this contract.

4. TAXES: Any applicable taxes shall be invoiced as a separate item.

a. G.S. 143-59.1 bars the Secretary of Administration from entering into Contracts with Vendors if the Vendor or its affiliates meet one of the conditions of G.S. 105-164.8(b) and refuses to collect use tax on sales of tangible personal property to purchasers in North Carolina. Conditions under G.S. 105-164.8(b) include:

(1) Maintenance of a retail establishment or office, (2) Presence of representatives in the State that solicit sales or transact business on behalf of the Vendor and (3) Systematic exploitation of the market by media-assisted, media-facilitated, or media-solicited means. By execution of the proposal document the Vendor certifies that it and all of its affiliates, (if it has affiliates), collect(s) the appropriate taxes.

b. All agencies participating in this Contract are exempt from Federal Taxes, such as excise and transportation. Exemption forms submitted by the Vendor will be executed and returned by the using agency.

c. Prices offered are not to include any personal property taxes, nor any sales or use tax (or fees) unless required by the North Carolina Department of Revenue.

5. SITUS AND GOVERNING LAWS: This Contract is made under and shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of North Carolina, without regard to its conflict of laws rules, and within which State all matters, whether sounding in Contract or tort or otherwise, relating to its validity, construction, interpretation and enforcement shall be determined.

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6. PAYMENT TERMS: Payment terms are Net not later than 30 days after receipt of correct invoice or acceptance of goods, whichever is later. I-SS is responsible for all payments to the Vendor under the Contract.

7. AFFIRMATIVE ACTION: The Vendor will take affirmative action in complying with all Federal and State requirements concerning fair employment and employment of people with disabilities and concerning the treatment of all employees without regard to discrimination by reason of race, color, religion, sex, national origin or disability.

8. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY INDEMNITY: Vendor shall hold and save I-SS, its officers, agents and employees, harmless from liability of any kind, including costs and expenses, resulting from infringement of the rights of any third party in any copyrighted material, patented or unpatented invention, articles, device or appliance delivered in connection with this contract.

a. Vendor warrants to the best of its knowledge that:

i. Performance under The Contract does not infringe upon any intellectual property rights of any third party; and

ii. There are no actual or threatened actions arising from, or alleged under, any intellectual property rights of any third party;

b. Should any deliverables supplied by the Vendor become the subject of a claim of infringement of a patent, copyright, trademark or a trade secret in the United States, the Vendor, shall at its option and expense, either procure for I-SS the right to continue using the deliverables, or replace or modify the same to become non-infringing. If neither of these options can reasonably be taken in Vendor’s judgment, or if further use shall be prevented by injunction, the Vendor agrees to cease provision of any affected deliverables and refund any sums I-SS has paid the Vendor and make every reasonable effort to assist I-SS in procuring substitute deliverables. If, in the sole opinion of I-SS, the cessation of use by I-SS of any such deliverables due to infringement issues makes the retention of other items acquired from the Vendor under this Agreement impractical, I-SS shall then have the option of terminating the Agreement, or applicable portions thereof, without penalty or termination charge; and Vendor agrees to refund any sums I-SS paid for unused Services or Deliverables.

c. The Vendor, at its own expense, shall defend any action brought against I-SS to the extent that such action is based upon a claim that the deliverables supplied by the Vendor, their use or operation, infringes on a patent, copyright, trademark or violates a trade secret in the United States. The Vendor shall pay those costs and damages finally awarded or agreed in a settlement against I-SS in any such action. Such defense and payment shall be conditioned on the following:

i. That the Vendor shall be notified within a reasonable time in writing by I-SS of any such claim; and

ii. That the Vendor shall have the sole control of the defense of any action on such claim and all negotiations for its settlement or compromise provided, however, that I-SS shall have the option to participate in such action at its own expense.

d. The Vendor will not be required to defend or indemnify I-SS if any claim by a third party against I-SS for infringement or misappropriation results from I-SS’s material alteration of any Vendor-branded deliverables or services, or from the continued use of the deliverable(s) or Services after receiving notice of infringement on a trade secret of a third party.

9. TERMINATION FOR CONVENIENCE: If this contract contemplates deliveries or performance over a period of time, I-SS may terminate this contract at any time by providing 30 days’ notice in writing from I-SS to the Vendor.

In that event, any or all finished or unfinished deliverables prepared by the Vendor under this contract shall, at the option of I-SS, become its property. If the contract is terminated by I-SS as provided in this section, I-SS shall pay for those items for which such option is exercised, less any payment or compensation previously made.

10.ADVERTISING: Vendor agrees not to use the existence of this Contract or the name of I-SS as part of any commercial advertising or marketing of products or services. A Vendor may inquire whether I-SS is willing to act as a reference by providing factual information directly to other prospective customers.

11. ACCESS TO PERSONS AND RECORDS: During and after the term hereof, the State Auditor and any using agency’s internal auditors shall have access to persons and records related to this Contract to verify accounts and

Ver: 11/12/2025 Page 14 of 18 data affecting fees or performance under the Contract, as provided in G.S. 143-49(9).

12.ASSIGNMENT: No assignment of the Vendor’s obligations nor the Vendor’s right to receive payment hereunder shall be permitted.

However, upon written request approved by the issuing purchasing authority and solely as a convenience to the Vendor, I-SS may:

a. Forward the Vendor’s payment check directly to any person or entity designated by the Vendor, and

b. Include any person or entity designated by Vendor as a joint payee on the Vendor’s payment check.

In no event shall such approval and action obligate I-SS to anyone other than the Vendor and the Vendor shall remain responsible for fulfillment of all Contract obligations. Upon advance written request, I-SS may, in its unfettered discretion, approve an assignment to the surviving entity of a merger, acquisition or corporate reorganization, if made as part of the transfer of all or substantially all of the Vendor’s assets. Any purported assignment made in violation of this provision shall be void and a material breach of this Contract.

13. INSURANCE:

COVERAGE - During the term of the Contract, the Vendor at its sole cost and expense shall provide commercial insurance of such type and with such terms and limits as may be reasonably associated with the Contract. As a minimum, the Vendor shall provide and maintain the following coverage and limits:

a. Worker’s Compensation - The Vendor shall provide and maintain Workers Compensation Insurance, as required by the laws of North Carolina, as well as employer’s liability coverage with minimum limits of $500,000.00, covering all of Vendor’s employees who are engaged in any work under the Contract. If any work is subcontracted, the Vendor shall require the sub-Contractor to provide the same coverage for any of his employees engaged in any work under the Contract.

b. Commercial General Liability - General Liability Coverage on a Comprehensive Broad Form on an occurrence basis in the minimum amount of $1,000,000.00 Combined Single Limit. (Defense cost shall be in excess of the limit of liability.)

c. Automobile - Automobile Liability Insurance, to include liability coverage, covering all owned, hired and non-owned vehicles, used in connection with the Contract. The minimum combined single limit shall be $250,000.00 bodily injury and property damage; $250,000.00 uninsured/under insured motorist; and $2,500.00 medical payment.

REQUIREMENTS - Providing and maintaining adequate insurance coverage is a material obligation of the Vendor and is of the essence of this Contract. All such insurance shall meet all laws of the State of North Carolina. Such insurance coverage shall be obtained from companies that are authorized to provide such coverage and that are authorized by the Commissioner of Insurance to do business in North Carolina. The Vendor shall at all times comply with the terms of such insurance policies, and all requirements of the insurer under any such insurance policies, except as they may conflict with existing North Carolina laws or this Contract. The limits of coverage under each insurance policy maintained by the Vendor shall not be interpreted as limiting the Vendor’s liability and obligations under the Contract.

14.GENERAL INDEMNITY: The Vendor shall hold and save I-SS, its officers, agents, and employees, harmless from liability of any kind, including all claims and losses accruing or resulting to any other person, Vendor, or corporation furnishing or supplying work, services, materials, or supplies in connection with the performance of this Contract, and from any and all claims and losses accruing or resulting to any person, Vendor, or corporation that may be injured or damaged by the Vendor in the performance of this Contract and that are attributable to the negligence or

Ver: 11/12/2025 Page 15 of 18 intentionally tortious acts of the Vendor provided that the Vendor is notified in writing within 30 days that I-SS has knowledge of such claims. The Vendor represents and warrants that it shall make no claim of any kind or nature against I-SS’s agents who are involved in the delivery or processing of Vendor goods or services to I-SS. The representation and warranty in the preceding sentence shall survive the termination or expiration of this Contract.

15. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR: Vendor shall be considered to be an independent contractor and as such shall be wholly responsible for the work to be performed and for the supervision of its employees. Vendor represents that it has, or will secure at its own expense, all personnel required in performing the services under this contract.

Such employees shall not be employees of, or have any individual contractual relationship with I-SS.

16.KEY PERSONNEL: Vendor shall not substitute key personnel assigned to the performance of this contract without prior written approval by I-SS’s assigned Contract Lead. The individuals designated as key personnel for purposes of this contract are those specified in the RFP and persons identified in Vendor’s proposal.

17.SUBCONTRACTING: Performance under The Contract by the Vendor shall not be subcontracted without prior written approval of I-SS’s assigned Contract Lead. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, acceptance of a Vendor’s proposal shall include approval to use the subcontractor(s) that have been specified therein.

18.CONFIDENTIALITY: Any I-SS information, data, instruments, documents, studies or reports given to or prepared or assembled by or provided to the Vendor under this contract shall be kept as confidential, used only for the purpose(s) required to perform this contract and not divulged or made available to any individual or organization without the prior written approval of I-SS.

19.CARE OF I-SS DATA AND PROPERTY: The Vendor agrees that it shall be responsible for the proper custody and care of any data owned and furnished to the Vendor by I-SS (I-SS Data), or other I-SS property in the hands of the Vendor, for use in connection with the performance of The Contract or purchased by or for I-SS for The Contract. Vendor will reimburse I-SS for loss or damage of such property while in Vendor’s custody.

I-SS’s Data in the hands of the Vendor shall be protected from unauthorized disclosure, loss, damage, destruction by a natural event or other eventuality. Such I-SS Data shall be returned to I-SS in a form acceptable to I-SS upon the termination or expiration of this Agreement. The Vendor shall notify I-SS of any security breaches within 24 hours as required by G.S. 143B-1379. See G.S. 75-60 et seq.

20.OUTSOURCING: Any Vendor or subcontractor providing call or contact center services to I-SS shall disclose to inbound callers the location from which the call or contact center services are being provided.

If, after award of a contract, the contractor wishes to relocate or outsource any portion of the work to a location outside the United States, or to contract with a subcontractor for the performance of any work, which subcontractor and nature of the work has not previously been disclosed to I-SS in writing, prior…