TU-2640 - Tiger Success RFP Wrapper - Final - 20260706.pdf

Request for Proposals (RFP)

Procurement Towson University - 8000 York Rd, Towson MD 21252 410-704-2171 - towson.edu/procurement

TIGER SUCCESS DEGREE PLANNING AND AUDIT SOLUTION

SOLICITATION NO. TU-2640

Prospective bidders/offerors who obtained this document from the university’s website, e-Maryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA), or any source other than the procurement officer, must provide their name, company name and email address to the issuing office by contacting Alex Webb at apwebb@towson.edu, to ensure receipt of addenda and other communications regarding the solicitation.

ISSUING OFFICE

Procurement Department 8000 York Road

Towson, MD 21252-0001

NOTE: Responses shall be submitted electronically in accordance with this RFP, Section IV.

PROCUREMENT OFFICE LOCATION

Administration Building 7720 York Road, 4th Floor

Towson, MD 21204

CAMPUS LOCATION: Directions to the university and a campus map can be found at the following link: http://www.towson.edu/maps/index.html

PARKING INFORMATION: Free 20-min. Parking meters are available near the 1st-floor building entrance. Please visit the following link for more information:

http://www.towson.edu/parking/visitors/index.html

MINORITY BUSINESSES ARE ENCOURAGED TO RESPOND TO THIS SOLICITATION

mailto:apwebb@towson.edu http://www.towson.edu/maps/index.html

TU-2640 Tiger Success Degree Planning & Audit Solution RFP

KEY INFORMATION SUMMARY SHEET

TIGER SUCCESS DEGREE PLANNING AND AUDIT SOLUTION

SOLICITATION NO. TU-2640

RFP ISSUE DATE:

RFP ISSUING OFFICE:

PROCUREMENT OFFICER

REPRESENTATIVE:

PROCUREMENT OFFICE LOCATION:

PRE-BID/PROPOSAL CONFERENCE:

July 6, 2026

Towson University Procurement Office in coordination with the Towson University Registrar’s Office

Name: Alex Webb Phone: 410-704-4453 Email: apwebb@towson.edu

Towson University Procurement Department Administration Building, 4th Floor 7720 York Road Towson, MD 21204

July 10, 2026 – 11:00APM ET via Webex

Registration is REQUIRED – please use the following link to complete your registration: https://towson.webex.com/weblink/ register/r119f 57a6a871d1d100227df33ad7b5b0

Meeting link:

https://towson.webex.com/towson/j.php?MTID=m 9476d1f85104d0b4026bc61b25fac7bb

Meeting number:

2313 203 0054

Password:

Y5dT3wfpFZ3

Join by video system Dial 23132030054@towson.webex.com You can also dial 173.243.2.68 and enter your meeting number.

Join by phone 1-408-792-6300 Call-in number (US/Canada) 1-877-668-4490 Call-in toll-free number (US/Canada)

Access code: 2313 203 0054 mailto:apwebb@towson.edu https://towson.webex.com/weblink/register/r119f57a6a871d1d100227df33ad7b5b0 https://towson.webex.com/weblink/register/r119f57a6a871d1d100227df33ad7b5b0 https://towson.webex.com/towson/j.php?MTID=m9476d1f85104d0b4026bc61b25fac7bb https://towson.webex.com/towson/j.php?MTID=m9476d1f85104d0b4026bc61b25fac7bb

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS:

July 15, 2026 – 2:00PM ET

CLOSING DATE/TIME:

(Not a Public Bid Opening)

August 6, 2026 – 2:00PM ET

ORAL PRESENTATIONS AND PRODUCT

DEMONSTRATIONS:

Offerors will be individually invited to oral presentations and product demonstrations after review of all technical proposals and before price proposals are evaluated. Oral presentations and product demonstrations will be conducted virtually, via invitation. TU will send follow-up communications to invited offerors at a later date with pertinent details related to the event. The forum will be a virtual meeting where selected offerors will complete both their oral presentation and product demonstration during one meeting event. All references of “Oral Presentation(s)” in the RFP document will include the “oral presentation and product demonstration” event.

CONTRACT TERM:

Towson University is seeking to award one (1) contract for a three (3) year subscription providing best value to the University. The ideal subscription pricing would be based on full-time enrollment as outlined in the National Center for Education Statistics.

The University is committed to ensuring that persons with disabilities have equally effective opportunities to participate in and benefit from the University's programs and services. Persons who may require reasonable ADA accommodations should contact the Issuing Office at 410-704-2171 at least five (5) days prior to any meeting scheduled in connection with this solicitation.

NOTICE TO BIDDER/OFFERORS

To help improve the quality of bid and proposal solicitations and to make our procurement process more responsive and "business friendly," we ask that you provide comments and suggestions regarding the enclosed solicitation. Please return your comments with your bid, proposal or "no bid," response, as the case may be. Thank you for your assistance.

Project No.: TU-2640 Project Title: Tiger Success Degree Planning and Audit Solution

If you have responded with a “no bid” please indicate the reasons below (check applicable boxes):

� Other commitments preclude our participation at this time � The subject of the solicitation is not something we normally provide.

� We are inexperienced in the work/commodities required.

� The specifications are either unclear or too restrictive (explain below).

� The scope of work is beyond our current capacity.

� Doing business with Maryland Government Agencies is simply too complicated (explain below).

� We cannot be competitive (explain below).

� Time allotted for completion of the bid/proposal response is insufficient.

� Start-up time is insufficient.

� Bonding/insurance requirements are prohibitive (explain below).

� MBE requirements (explain below).

� Bid/Proposal requirements (other than specifications or scope) are unreasonable or too risky

(explain below) � Prior experience with Towson University contracts were not profitable or otherwise unsatisfactory

(explain below).

� Payment schedule too slow.

� Other:

Explanation:

If you have submitted a bid or proposal, but wish to offer suggestions or express concerns, please use the remarks section below:

Remarks:

Bidder/Offeror Name: _______________________________________________________________ Contact Person: ________________________________ Signature: __________________________ Address: ______________________________________ Email: _______________________________________ Phone:______________________________ Date: ________________________________________

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION I. INFORMATION FOR OFFERORS

SUMMARY STATEMENT

ISSUING OFFICE AND PROCUREMENT OFFICER

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

QUESTIONS AND INQUIRIES

INSURANCE

PROPOSAL DUE DATE

DURATION OF PROPOSAL OFFER

PROCUREMENT METHOD

BASIS FOR AWARD

ALTERNATE PROPOSALS

MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (MBE) UTILIZATION

SECTION II. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR OFFERORS

PURPOSE

ADDENDA TO THE RFP

PRE-PROPOSAL MODIFICATION OR WITHDRAWAL OF OFFERORS

CANCELLATION OF SOLICITATION/REJECTION OF ALL PROPOSALS

DISCUSSIONS

ORAL PRESENTATIONS AND PRODUCT DEMONSTRATIONS

INCURRED EXPENSES

ARREARAGES

VERIFICATION OF REGISTRATION AND TAX PAYMENT

ECONOMY OF PREPARATION

PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT NOTICE

EXECUTION OF PROPOSALS

DISCREPANCIES, EXPLANATIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

ORDER OF PRECEDENCE

REQUIRED CONTRACT PROVISIONS

OFFEROR RESPONSIBILITIES

FALSE STATEMENTS

PAYMENT TO THE CONTRACTOR; TAXES

PRESS RELEASES

RECIPRICOAL PREFERENCE

VENDOR ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER REGISTRATION

NON-VISUAL ACCESS

PARKING

SMOKING

SECTION III. EVALUATION PROCEDURE

EVALUATION COMMITTEE

QUALIFYING PROPOSALS

TECHNICAL EVALUATION

FINANCIAL EVALUATION

DISCUSSIONS – BEST AND FINAL OFFERS

EVALUATION CRITERIA

FINAL RANKING AND SELECTION

DEBRIEFING

SECTION IV. INFORMATION REQUIRED IN ALL PROPOSALS

ORGANIZATION OF TECHNICAL PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY/TRANSMITTAL LETTER

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL CONTENTS

BID/PROPOSAL AFFIDAVIT

CONTRACT AFFIDAVIT

MBE UTILIZATION AFFIDAVIT

ADDENDA ACKNOWLEDGMENT FORM

CONFLICT OF INTEREST AFFIDAVIT AND DISCLOSURE

SECTION V. SCOPE OF SERVICES

EXHIBITS

Exhibit A: Required Contract Provisions

Exhibit A-3: Confidential Data Addendum

Exhibit B: Bid/Proposal Affidavit

Exhibit C: Contract Affidavit

Exhibit D & E: INTENTIALLY OMITTED

Exhibit F: Company Profile

Exhibit G: Firm Experience

Exhibit H thru J: INTENTIALLY OMITTED

Exhibit K: Addenda Acknowledgment

Exhibit L: Key Personnel Form

Exhibit M thru Q: INTENTIALLY OMITTED

Exhibit R: Conflict-of-Interest Affidavit and Disclosure

Exhibit S thru U: INTENTIALLY OMITTED

Exhibit V: Sample Agreement

SECTION I. INFORMATION FOR OFFERORS

SUMMARY STATEMENT

Towson University (hereinafter “University”) is seeking a SaaS cloud-based solution to enhance degree planning, degree progress visibility, advising, enrollment, communication, and overall student success. Vendors submitting proposals should have at least 5 years of related experience working directly with higher education institutions and be able to provide evidence of successful implementations of degree planning and progress solutions. The successful contractor will be responsible for supplying all personnel, materials, equipment, supplies, etc., necessary to successfully execute these objectives.

ISSUING OFFICE AND PROCUREMENT OFFICER

The sole point of contact in the State for purposes of this RFP is the Procurement Officer or his/her representative (hereinafter referred to as Procurement Officer) noted on the Key Information Summary Sheet. Only the information communicated by the Procurement Officer shall be deemed the official position of the University; no other State or University employee, official, or representative has authority to change the requirements of this solicitation. Attempts by offeror to contact members of the evaluation committee or otherwise circumvent this procedure in any manner may be grounds for disqualification.

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

A pre-proposal conference will be held virtually as noted on the Key Information Summary Sheet. Offerors are encouraged to attend.

The University is committed to ensuring that persons with disabilities have equally effective opportunities to participate in and benefit from the University's programs and services. Persons who may require reasonable ADA accommodations should contact the Issuing Office at (410) 704-2171 at least five (5) days prior to any meeting scheduled in connection with this solicitation.

QUESTIONS AND INQUIRIES

Offerors shall direct all communications regarding this solicitation to the Procurement Officer.

Submit questions to the Procurement Officer, in writing, via email at apwebb@towson.edu, not later than the date indicated on the Key Information Summary Sheet. Addenda, if required, will be furnished to all potential offerors known to have received the RFP.

INSURANCE

1. The Bidder shall secure, pay the premiums for, and keep in force until the expirations of the contract, and any renewal thereof, adequate insurance as provided below, such insurance to specifically include liability assumed by the Bidder under the contract.

Upon award, the successful Bidder shall furnish certificates of insurance.

mailto:apwebb@towson.edu

a. Commercial General Liability Insurance including all extensions; $1,000,000 each occurrence; $1,000,000 personal injury; $1,000,000 products/completed operations; and $1,000,000 general aggregate.

b. Workmen’s Compensation Insurance and Unemployment Insurance as required by the laws of the State of Maryland.

c. If automotive equipment is used in the operation, automobile liability insurance of $1,000,000 combined single limit, each accident.

d. If food products are used in the operation, food products liability insurance, if not included in the Comprehensive, with limits of not less than $1,000,000 for each person and $1,000,000 for each accident.

2. Each policy for liability protection, bodily injury or property damage must specifically name, on its face, Towson University, as an additional named insured as respects operations under the contract and premises occupied by the Contractor provided, however, with respect to the Contractor’s liability for bodily injury or property damage under items 1.a.-1.e. above, such insurance shall cover and not exclude Contractor’s liability for injury to the property of the University System and to the persons or property of employees, students, faculty members, agents, officers, regents, invitees or guests of the University System.

3. Each insurance policy shall contain the following endorsements: “It is understood and agreed that the Insurance Company shall notify in writing procurement officer forty-five

(45) days in advance of the effective date of any reduction in or cancellation of this policy.” A certificate of each policy of insurance shall be furnished to the procurement officer. With the exception of Workmen’s Compensation, upon the request of the procurement officer, a certified true copy of each policy of insurance, including the above endorsement, manually countersigned by an authorized representative of the insurance company, shall be furnished to the procurement officer. A certificate of insurance for Workmen’s Compensation together with a properly executed endorsement for cancellation notice shall also be furnished. Following the notice of contract award, the requested certificates and policies shall be delivered as directed by the procurement officer. Notices of policy changes shall be furnished to the procurement officer.

4. All required insurance coverages must be acquired from insurers authorized to do business in the State of Maryland and acceptable to the University. The insurers must have a policyholders’ rating of “A-” or better, and a financial size of “Class VII” or better in the latest edition of Best’s Insurance Reports.

PROPOSAL DUE DATE

Proposals must be received at the Issuing Office by the date and time indicated in the Key Information Summary Sheet. Requests for extensions will not be granted, nor will late proposals, late requests for modification, or late requests for withdrawal be considered. Unless specifically requested, proposals submitted by fax will not be accepted.

DURATION OF PROPOSAL OFFER

Proposals submitted in response to this RFP are irrevocable for one (1) year following the closing date for proposals or, if requested, the due date for best and final offers (BAFO). This period may be extended by mutual written agreement between the offeror and the University.

PROCUREMENT METHOD

This solicitation shall be conducted in accordance with the University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents Procurement Policies and Procedures. The procurement method is Competitive Sealed Proposals.

BASIS FOR AWARD

1. The University may classify a proposal as "not reasonably susceptible of being selected for award" if it is incomplete or does not meet minimum requirements. The University may also determine that an offeror is non-responsible, i.e., does not have the capacity in all respects to perform the work required. Should a proposal be judged not reasonably susceptible of being selected for award, or an offeror found not responsible, the proposal will not be considered further; offeror will be notified accordingly.

2. Proposals will be evaluated by an evaluation committee. The committee will recommend award to the responsible offeror whose proposal is determined to be the most advantageous to the University, considering both technical factors and price.

3. Award pursuant to this solicitation is final only upon approval by the appropriate office of the University System of Maryland (USM) and/or the State of Maryland, and contract execution on behalf of the University.

ALTERNATE PROPOSALS

Neither multiple nor alternate proposals will be accepted.

MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (MBE) UTILIZATION

Minority Business Enterprises are encouraged to respond to this solicitation. There is no MBE goal for this RFP.

END OF SECTION I

SECTION II. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR OFFERORS

PURPOSE

The purpose of this solicitation is to provide information to offerors interested in preparing and submitting proposals to meet the requirements contained herein. Offerors shall familiarize themselves with each section and subsection of this document.

ADDENDA TO THE RFP

The University reserves the right to amend this solicitation at any time prior to the proposal due date. If it becomes necessary to amend any part of this solicitation, the Procurement Officer will furnish addenda to all prospective offerors known to the University to have received a copy of the RFP.

PRE-PROPOSAL MODIFICATION OR WITHDRAWAL OF OFFERORS

Proposals may be modified or withdrawn by written notice received at the Issuing Office at any time before the proposal due date and time.

CANCELLATION OF SOLICITATION/REJECTION OF ALL PROPOSALS

The University reserves the right to cancel this RFP, to accept or reject any or all proposals, in whole or in part, received in response to this RFP, and to waive or permit cure of minor irregularities as its best interests may require.

DISCUSSIONS

The University reserves the right to conduct discussions with all qualified or potentially qualified offerors, in any matter necessary to serve its best interests. The University also reserves the right to award a contract based upon written proposals received, without discussions or negotiations.

ORAL PRESENTATIONS AND PRODUCT DEMONSTRATIONS

Offerors will be required to make oral presentations and product demonstrations to University representatives. The Procurement Office will provide notice of the time and place for presentations.

INCURRED EXPENSES

The University assumes no responsibility for expenses incurred by offeror in preparing and submitting a proposal, making an oral presentation, or participating in discussions or any other activity in response to this RFP.

ARREARAGES

By submitting a response to this RFP, offeror represents that it is not in arrears in the payment of any obligation due and owing the State of Maryland, including the payment of taxes and employee benefits, and that it shall not become so in arrears during the term of the contract if selected for award.

VERIFICATION OF REGISTRATION AND TAX PAYMENT

Each prospective offeror is encouraged to ensure that it is appropriately registered to do business in the State of Maryland, and in good standing with respect to taxes, personal property returns, unemployment insurance, etc., before the closing date. Failure to complete registration with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) may disqualify an otherwise successful offeror from recommendation for contract award.

ECONOMY OF PREPARATION

Proposals should be prepared simply and economically, providing a straight-forward, concise description of the offeror's ability to fulfill the requirements of this solicitation.

PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT NOTICE

Offeror shall give specific attention to identification of those portions of its proposal considered confidential, or containing proprietary information or trade secrets. Upon request, offeror shall provide justification why such material should not be disclosed by the University under the Public Information Act, Title 4, Subtitle 3 of the General Provisions Article, Annotated Code of Maryland.

EXECUTION OF PROPOSALS

Proposals shall be typewritten or written legibly in ink, and signed in ink as follows, depending on the offeror's form of business organization:

1. Sole Proprietorship. Proprietor shall sign full name, with address.

2. Partnership and Joint Venture. Submit the proposal in the name of the partnership or joint venture. Clearly state the partnership name and the identity of each general partner, and execute all affidavits and certificates on behalf of the partnership, or on behalf of each general partner. No provision of any agreement among partners will be binding on the University unless it is disclosed in the offeror’s proposal. Reasonable evidence satisfactory to the University of the authority of one partner to bind other purported partners is required. It is recommended that the proposal contain a copy of the partnership agreement, if one exists. If no partnership agreement exists, and if the number of general partners is reasonably small, each general partner should execute all required documents included in the proposal. At the University's option, all general partners may be required to sign the proposal. Failure to present the University with satisfactory information concerning a purported partnership or joint venture may be grounds for finding a proposal unacceptable.

3. Corporation. An officer or authorized agent of the corporation shall sign with full name, indicate title, and include the name and address of the corporation. In the case of an authorized agent, enclose a letter from an officer of the corporation authorizing said individual to act on behalf of the corporation.

DISCREPANCIES, EXPLANATIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

Should offeror find discrepancies in the specifications or other provisions included in this solicitation or be in doubt as to the meaning or intent of any section or subsection herein, offeror shall request clarification from the Procurement Officer. Failure to request clarification prior to the due date shall be a waiver of any claim by the offeror for expenses made necessary by reason of later interpretation of the contract documents, and offeror shall be bound to the University's interpretation. Request clarifications in accordance with the instructions above.

ORDER OF PRECEDENCE

The contract to be entered into as a result of the RFP ("Contract") will consist of the following Contract Documents, listed in their order of precedence:

1. The contract executed by the parties and/or Purchase Order issued by the University;

2. The solicitation, including Exhibit A (Required Contract Provisions) and all other exhibits; and

3. Offeror's proposal including the technical proposal, oral presentation, and price proposal.

No modifications to this order of precedence will be accepted.

REQUIRED CONTRACT PROVISIONS

All proposals submitted, and the contracts executed by the successful offeror(s), are subject to Exhibit A and Exhibit A-3.

By submitting a proposal, offeror is deemed to have accepted the terms of this RFP, including exhibits; a proposal that takes exception to the terms of the RFP may be rejected. Exceptions, if any, must be clearly identified in the Transmittal Letter enclosed with the technical proposal.

Mutually agreeable modifications of the solicitation provisions, if allowed by law, will be documented by express identification in the final contract as superseding the pertinent provisions of the solicitation.

OFFEROR RESPONSIBILITIES

The successful offeror shall be responsible for all products and services required by this RFP.

Subcontractors, if any, must be identified and a complete description of their role relative to the project must be identified

FALSE STATEMENTS

Offerors are advised that the Annotated Code of Maryland provides that in connection with a procurement contract, a person may not willfully: Falsify, conceal or suppress a material fact by any scheme or device; make a false or fraudulent statement or representation of a material fact; use a false writing or document that contains a false or fraudulent statement or entry of a material fact; or aid or conspire with another person to commit any of the aforementioned acts.

A person who violates these provisions is guilty of a felony, and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $20,000 or imprisonment not exceeding five

(5) years, or both.

PAYMENT TO THE CONTRACTOR; TAXES

Payment is governed by Title 15, Subtitle 1 of the State Finance and Procurement Article, Annotated Code of Maryland. The State of Maryland is exempt from Maryland Retail Sales Tax and Federal Excise Tax.

PRESS RELEASES

The successful offeror shall issue no press release to any publication, including newspapers, with regard to work being conducted under this contract.

RECIPRICOAL PREFERENCE

While Maryland law does not authorize state agencies to favor resident offerors, some other states grant preferences to their residents over Maryland businesses. Therefore, a resident business preference may be given to a Maryland firm if: A responsible offeror whose headquarters, principal base of operations, or principal site that will provide the services required by this RFP is located in another state submits the most advantageous offer; the other state gives a preference to its residents through law, policy, or practice; and the preference does not conflict with a Federal law or grant affecting the contract. The preference given shall be identical to the preference that the other state gives to its residents.

VENDOR ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER REGISTRATION

Contractors of the State are required to complete a COT/GAD Form X-10, Vendor Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Registration Request Form, for each new contract with a value greater than $200,000. Vendors must register for EFT by submitting a completed COT/GAD Form X-10 to the Comptroller’s General Accounting Division (GAD) or request an exemption from GAD. The revised form is on the Comptroller’s Web site at:

http://comptroller.marylandtaxes.com/Vendor_Services/Accounting_Information/Electronic_F unds_Transfer/

The form will be provided to all successful bidders as part of the contract process.

NON-VISUAL ACCESS

The Contractor shall ensure compliance in any applicable contract with State of Maryland IT Non-Visual Access Standards. The standards should be incorporated to the fullest extent possible for information technology contracts. These standards/policies may be revised from time to time and the Contractor shall comply with all such revisions. The Non-visual Access Clause noted in COMAR 21.05.08.05 and referenced in this RFP is the basis for the standards that have been incorporated in the Maryland regulations.

PARKING

All vehicles parked on Towson University property must strictly observe University parking regulations. Each vehicle parked on campus between 6 am and 8 pm, Monday through Thursday, and from 6 am to 3 pm on Fridays, must display a valid University permit unless parked at a paid meter. Parking on sidewalks or unpaved areas is prohibited at all times. All fines for parking or other vehicle violations are the responsibility of the Contractor. This applies to vendors, salespersons, company vehicles, and Contractor employees’ personal vehicles.

Long- and short-term permits are available, at designated rates, for vendors with contracts that require them to park regularly on the campus; see the parking website at http://www.towson.edu/parking/visitors/index.html for permit rates and information to support preparation of Bid/Price Proposal. Parking Transportation phone: (410) 704-7275. NOTE:

Include parking fees in Bid/Price Proposal.

SMOKING

Smoking, defined as the burning of tobacco or any other material in any type of smoking equipment, including but not restricted to cigarettes, cigars or pipes, is prohibited on all property owned, leased or operated by the University. This consists of all buildings, including residence halls, leased restaurants and lodging facilities; all grounds, including exterior open spaces, parking lots and garages, on-campus sidewalks, streets, driveways, stadiums, recreational spaces and practice facilities; and in all University- owned or leased vehicles. The policy applies to all individuals on the University campus, including faculty, staff, students, parents, vendors and visitors. Contractor and its employees and subcontractors who violate the policy may be denied access to the University campus.

END OF SECTION II

http://comptroller.marylandtaxes.com/Vendor_Services/Accounting_Information/Electronic_Funds_Transfer/ http://comptroller.marylandtaxes.com/Vendor_Services/Accounting_Information/Electronic_Funds_Transfer/

SECTION III. EVALUATION PROCEDURE

EVALUATION COMMITTEE

All technical proposals received by the closing deadline will be evaluated by a committee appointed by the Procurement Officer. The committee may request additional technical assistance from any source within the University System of Maryland, state government, or other sources deemed appropriate. Technical and price proposals will be evaluated independently.

QUALIFYING PROPOSALS

Proposals shall be initially reviewed by the Procurement Officer for compliance with the solicitation requirements. Failure to comply with solicitation requirements may result in a proposal being classified as not reasonably susceptible of being selected for award. Minor irregularities in proposals that are immaterial or inconsequential in nature may be cured or waived whenever it is determined to be in the University's best interest. Proposals deemed by the Procurement Officer as reasonably acceptable for contract award shall proceed to technical proposal evaluations.

TECHNICAL EVALUATION

1. After determining compliance with the RFP’s minimum requirements, the evaluation committee will assess and rank technical merit of each proposal in accordance with the criteria below.

2. At the discretion of the Procurement Officer, and at the recommendation by the evaluation committee, a shortlist of qualified proposals may be established during the technical evaluation. If a shortlist is established, only shortlisted offerors would continue in the evaluation process; offerors not short-listed shall be so advised.

3. It is the University’s intent to invite shortlisted offerors from the technical proposal phase to the oral presentation and product demonstration phase of the procurement.

FINANCIAL EVALUATION

Price proposals will be evaluated separately from Technical Proposals. Do not submit price information in the technical proposal. Price Proposals will be requested after a shortlist has been established and after the completion of technical evaluations and oral presentations.

DISCUSSIONS – BEST AND FINAL OFFERS

1. The Procurement Officer may invite one or more qualified offerors for oral presentations of their proposals. Discussions or negotiations may be conducted with qualified offerors.

The Procurement Officer reserves the right to make a contract award without discussions or negotiations.

2. When in the best interest of the University, the Procurement Officer may request that qualified offerors revise their initial proposals by submitting best and final offers.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

1. Technical and financial merit shall be accorded weighted importance. 65% will be weighted toward technical and 35% will be weighted toward financial.

2. The technical evaluation criteria are listed below in descending order of importance:

a. extent to which the offeror’s proposal meets the RFP objectives,

b. offeror past performance and experience in higher education settings,

c. offeror capacity, management, and personnel,

d. overall quality of proposal relative to adherence to instructions and requested format and,

e. economic benefit to the State of Maryland.

FINAL RANKING AND SELECTION

Following the evaluation of the technical proposals, oral presentation and product demonstration, and price proposals, the evaluation committee will recommend to the Procurement Officer award to the responsible offeror whose proposal is determined to be the most advantageous to the University.

DEBRIEFING

Unsuccessful offerors may request a debriefing. If the offeror chooses to do so, the request must be submitted in writing to the Procurement Officer within ten days after the offeror knew, or should have known its proposal was unsuccessful. Debriefings shall be limited to discussion of the specific offeror's proposal only and shall not include a discussion of a competing offeror's proposal. Debriefings shall be conducted at the earliest feasible time.

END OF SECTION III

SECTION IV. INFORMATION REQUIRED IN ALL PROPOSALS

ORGANIZATION OF TECHNICAL PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

1. The technical proposal must be submitted electronically not later than the date and time indicated on the Key Information Summary Sheet.

2. Submit via e-mail as an attachment. The e-mail address in which to submit the bid is bids@towson.edu. This e-mail address is for the receipt and storage of authorized Bids ONLY. It is not monitored for any other type of correspondence. All other correspondence should be directed to the appropriate procurement representative per the instructions contained in this document. The project name and number must appear in subject line of email along with your company name.

3. Any email attachment, or cumulative email attachments, at or exceeding 150MB in size will not be accepted by the University email system. Zip files will also not be accepted by the University. Bidders are permitted to separate email attachments into multiple, clearly labeled, emails.

4. If product literature and other publications are needed to supplement offeror’s response, include a reference to the document name and page in text, and insert the product literature, etc. following the last section of the response.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY/TRANSMITTAL LETTER

Each technical proposal shall be covered by an executive summary/transmittal letter, prepared on the offeror’s business stationery, signed by an individual who is authorized to bind the firm to all statements, proposed services, and prices offered. The letter shall not exceed one 8.5 x 11 document. Do not include price information in the transmittal letter.

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

1. Ensure that the proposal is page-numbered and prepared in a clear and concise manner that addresses each part of the RFP. Do not include price information in the technical proposal.

2. The technical proposal should be well-organized, comprehensive yet concise, and should clearly address key elements of the firm’s expertise and interest outlined in the technical proposal contents (see Section IV.D. below).

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL CONTENTS

1. Executive Summary/Transmittal Letter. A brief synopsis that demonstrates offeror’s understanding of the University’s requirements, highlighting offeror’s proposed solution and a statement attesting to all terms and conditions or contract terms that Offeror is taking exception to. As a reminder, this letter shall not exceed one (1) 8.5 x 11 document.

2. Technical Proposal. Written documentation, visuals and other relevant materials that address the following key elements of the firm’s expertise and interest including:

mailto:bids@towson.edu

a. Reason(s) why the firm wants to partner with Towson University

b. Firm differentiators and how those differentiators will help advance TU’s strategic priorities, enrollment goals and enhance student support.

c. Evidence of expertise in core competencies outlined in the scope of work.

d. Case studies or examples along with the measurable results and outcomes realized from each engagement.

e. Key personnel, their roles in the proposed partnership, and an organizational chart of the offerors structure that would support TU.

f. Ways the firm ensures budgetary efficiencies and optimizes use of client financial resources to ensure the greatest return on investment.

3. Company Experience and References

a. Company Profile. Complete the Company Profile form included with this RFP (Exhibit F), noting the website to be consulted for additional company information.

b. Complete the Firm Experience Form (Exhibit G), providing not less than three

(3) comparable projects/contracts previously undertaken by the Offeror. Identify the similarities and differences between reference projects and the proposed project. Note – The University reserves the right to make such investigations as it deems necessary to confirm the responsibility of Offeror. In the absence of information clearly indicating that the offeror is responsible, the Procurement Officer shall make a determination of non-responsibility.

c. Subcontractors. List each subcontractor proposed for the University’s contract, with a complete description of its role and involvement. Duplicate Company Profile (Exhibit F), form as necessary.

d. Financial Capacity. The University reserves the right to request Offeror to furnish the most recent annual financial statement or other financial report to confirm financial capacity and stability.

4. Key Personnel: Using Exhibit L, provide the names of key offeror personnel proposed for the University’s project, if awarded, emphasizing specific experience on contracts similar in scope and volume to the requirements of this RFP. Note: offeror shall submit forms only for personnel reasonably expected to be committed to the University for the duration of the project as identified in Section V.F.2. Any changes to Key Personnel during implementation must be signed off on by the University in writing. Key Personnel will include, at a minimum:

a. Project Manager – the lead point of contact for the University for the duration of project implementation

b. Technical Lead – the lead point of contact for technical questions such as integration, system security, and account authentication

c. Functional Lead – the lead point of contact to act as subject matter expert with functional configuration of planner /audit and system maintenance.

5. Subcontractors. List each subcontractor proposed for the University’s contract, with a complete description of its role and involvement. Duplicate the "Company Profile" form as necessary for this response.

6. Additional Documentation. Furnish any additional documents that may become part of the final agreement (e.g., Software License Agreements, General Terms & Conditions, etc.).

7. The University reserves the right to request offeror to furnish its most recent annual financial statements or other financial report to confirm financial capacity and stability.

BID/PROPOSAL AFFIDAVIT

Complete the Bid/Proposal Affidavit (Exhibit B) and enclose with the technical proposal.

CONTRACT AFFIDAVIT

The Contract Affidavit included in this solicitation as Exhibit C is a sample, for information purposes only. If a contract is awarded as a result of this procurement, only the successful offeror must complete the Contract Affidavit; do not enclose it with the technical proposal.

MBE UTILIZATION AFFIDAVIT

The MBE Utilization Affidavit is included in this solicitation as Exhibit E. In addition to completing the MBE Utilization Affidavit, offerors are encouraged to: 1) Identify potential MBE(s), the scope of services to be performed by the MBE(s), and the percentage(s) of the total contract price to be paid for said scope of work; and 2) Include evidence of MBE certification for each MBE prime or MBE subcontractor are required of the successful offeror.

ADDENDA ACKNOWLEDGMENT FORM

Should one or more addenda be issued to this RFP, offerors shall acknowledge receipt of each on the Addenda Acknowledgment Form (Exhibit K). Identify each addendum by number and date, sign the form, and enclose it with the technical proposal.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST AFFIDAVIT AND DISCLOSURE

Complete the Conflict-of-Interest Affidavit and Disclosure (Exhibit R) and enclose with the technical proposal.

END OF SECTION IV

SECTION V. SCOPE OF SERVICES

A. PROJECT OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this RFP is for Towson University to procure a SaaS cloud-based solution to enhance degree planning, degree progress visibility, advising, enrollment, communication, and overall student success. Currently, degree plans are managed at the department level and range from handwritten worksheets to Excel spreadsheets with no consistency across programs. Academic Requirements are delivered through Peoplesoft Campus Solutions and are not in line with what students expect from an application in the current year. Vendors submitting proposals should have at least 5 years of related experience working directly with higher education institutions and be able to provide evidence of successful implementations of degree planning and progress solutions. Towson is looking for a 3-year subscription for a solution based on full-time enrollment as outlined in the National Center for Education Statistics. The proposed solutions should focus on the following areas:

1. Creating a Modern, Student-Centered Degree Pathway

a. Enable students to view a full academic journey from admission through graduation.

b. Support dynamic updates when students modify majors, minors, or course selections.

c. Integrate curriculum changes and alert faculty to the impacts of proposed modifications.

d. Identify additional opportunities for majors or minors based on completed coursework.

e. Offer career-aligned and co-curricular recommendations.

f. Consolidate degree planning and academic requirements into a single unified system.

g. Solution should replace the use of Peoplesoft Campus Solutions Academic

Requirements module and degree planning practices that are currently handled outside of the Student Information System.

2. To Provide a Platform for the University to Deliver a Connected, Supportive Student Experience

a. Provide students with timely, accurate answers through an interactive website chatbot and mobile experience.

b. Offer clear and personalized next steps through nudges, reminders, and alerts.

c. Streamline enrollment with modern interfaces and language that is easy to understand.

d. Equip students with clear pathways and real-time insights about the impact of decisions such as adding, changing, or dropping a course.

e. Leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) to provide scalable support without increasing staff headcount that is personalized to a student’s learning needs.

3. Enhance Advising and Reduce Administrative Burden

a. Provide advisors with a single workspace for degree planning/audits, student communication, and advising records.

b. Offer built-in predictive analytics based on the institution’s population with academic insights for early interventions conducted within the tool and beyond interventions.

c. Streamline student requirement exception process for academic departments and Registrar’s Office.

d. Expedite graduation clearance for Registrar’s Office by increasing auto-completion rate using delivered tools within the solution.

4. Improve Operational Planning and Data Access

a. Provide real-time information about student course demand.

b. Surface insights based on degree audits, transfer credits, and plans to anticipate future course availability needs.

c. Improve access to data needed for forecasting and curriculum planning.

d. Utilize AI for data analysis and pattern recognition

B. KEY FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS (Ranked Highest to Lowest Priority)

1. Degree Planning and Academic Requirement / Degree Progress Tools

a. Auto-generate a personalized degree plan from admission to graduation.

b. System should allow an administrator advisor to “lock” a plan indicating it has been reviewed and prevent further changes by the student.

c. Ability for students to create / modify a plan to be reviewed by an administrator/advisor.

d. Support schedule changes with immediate impact analysis.

e. Enable what-if planning for majors/minors.

f. Include student plan-change alerts for faculty.

g. Suggest minors, certificates, or electives aligned with educational and career goals.

h. Easy to read and modern interface for academic requirements that works well with mobile devices and tablets)

i. Solution must meet WCAG 2.2 compliance requirements prior to implementation and will remain in compliance with federal regulations for the duration of the contract.

j. Solution should utilize degree requirements built in the system to work across both the planning module and the academic requirement module. Requirements should not have to be built independently for the planner module vs the academic requirement module.

k. Integrated exception handling to transparently manage requests/approval status.

l. Mechanism for graduation clearance using Academic Requirement / Degree Progress report.

2. Enrollment Experience Enhancements

a. Use intuitive language, especially for drop/withdrawal.

b. Provide guardrails and financial aid implications.

c. Allow for enrollment directly from the degree planner or degree requirements.

3. Data and Institutional Insights

a. Use built-in reporting tools from the proposed solution to offer real-time dashboards for departments.

b. Offer the ability to create custom reports in addition to those delivered at implementation.

c. Forecast course demand based on degree planner selections.

d. Offer delegated access controlled by the student.

e. Leverage AI analytics to identify trends, at-risk populations, and reporting requirements.

4. Student Chatbot and Digital Engagement

a. Provide 24/7 responses to current student registration, advising or continued enrollment questions/assistance.

b. Chatbot must be able to provide evidence of data privacy practices and subject to TU review. The proposed AI chatbot must demonstrate reliable, accurate, and source-supported responses. Vendors must provide evidence, testing results, and a demonstration showing that the solution satisfies all five requirements below:

i. Low Hallucination Rate: The chatbot must minimize fabricated, unsupported, or incorrect responses and include safeguards to avoid presenting uncertain information as fact.

ii. Groundedness: The chatbot must base responses on approved, retrievable source content and clearly align its answers with the information available in those sources.

iii. Intent Recognition: The chatbot must accurately interpret user questions, requests, and context in order to provide relevant, appropriate, and task-aligned responses.

iv. Faithfulness: The chatbot must not add, infer, or alter facts beyond the approved source material and must preserve the meaning and limitations of the underlying content.

v. The solution should implement a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) architecture to ground chatbot responses in authoritative enterprise data sources. The chatbot shall not rely solely on pre-trained large language model (LLM) knowledge for domain-specific responses.

c. Offer the ability to report on student interactions in the chat support by system administrators to verify ongoing accuracy of the responses.

d. Realtime notifications (email and/or in platform) to advisors / administrators when escalation is needed based on defined triggers.

e. Chatbot must provide the ability to escalate inaccurate or unhelpful responses to university staff.

f. University administrators must have the ability to take the Chatbot offline without needing to go through the vendor.

g. Guide users to instructions, forms, or appointments.

h. Consolidate notifications across institutional offices.

5. Advising and Student Support

a. Offer a unified advising interface for degree planning, communication, and advising records.

b. Track interactions in a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) structure.

c. Leverage AI to provide insight into students' academic progress such as at-risk students or students that have deviated from their degree plan.

d. Automatically alert advisors or administrators via in-application notifications, reports, or dashboards about student actions such as dropping, withdrawing, auditing, etc.

C. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

All submitted proposals shall address the items below:

1. Provide evidence of successful implementations and references

a. Must have at least 5 years of relatable experience working with higher education institutions.

b. Must be able to provide references for higher education institutions that have implemented the product and are currently using the solution.

c. Must be able to document successful implementations for schools currently using

Peoplesoft as Student Information System (SIS)

2. Implementation timeline and structure

a. Outline projected timeline for full implementation (should not exceed one (1) calendar year)

b. Outline that details the required functional and technical resources provided by Towson University during the implementation period

c. Vendor should provide dedicated functional and technical resource(s) during the implementation period. Include those personnel in Exhibit L Key Personnel Form.

D. TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS AND CONSTRAINTS

1. PeopleSoft Integration

a. Solution must integrate with Campus Solutions catalog data (course data) and student enrollment data

b. How does the solution provide a unified student and faculty experience while working within existing Campus Solutions functionality?

c. While data integration using ReST APIs is strongly preferred, integrations facilitated through vendor-hosted SFTP are also acceptable. At present, all data integrations are managed using Informatica Data Management Cloud.

d. How does the solution align with and/or extend PeopleSoft Campus Solutions data structures?

2. Architecture and Compatibility

a. API-based or headless architecture.

b. Provide a unified experience.

c. Cloud-based

3. Scalability and Accessibility

a. Support for large student populations.

b. FERPA and privacy compliance.

c. Support for other cloud-based student information systems.

4. Identity and Access Management

a. Modern Authentication: All solutions should support modern identity protocols including SAML 2.0, OIDC/OAuth 2.0, and/or integration with Entra ID (Azure Active Directory).

b. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): When possible, include support for granular role-based permissions and least-privileged access.

c. Encryption: All data in transit and at rest must be encrypted using industry-standard protocols (e.g., TLS 1.2+, AES-256).

5. Ongoing Support

a. Consistent feature and security patching cycle.

b. Defined service level agreements for submitted tickets and issues.

c. Mechanism to check on pending issues and enhancement requests.

END OF SECTION V

Exhibit A Required Contract Provisions

Procurement

Procurement Towson University - 8000 York Rd, Towson MD 21252 - 410-704-2171 - towson.edu/procurement

The provisions contained in this exhibit will be incorporated and be a part of the contract entered into between Towson University and any contractors as a result of this procurement.

1. Affirmation - Contingent Fees The Contractor shall submit with its bid/proposal a Procurement Affirmation regarding contingent fees in the form required by USM Procurement Policies and Procedures.

2. Affirmation - Debarment The Contractor shall submit with its bid/proposal a Procurement Affirmation in the form required by USM Procurement Policies and Procedures.

3. Affirmation Regarding Debarment of Related Entities The Contractor shall submit with its bid/proposal a Procurement Affirmation regarding debarment…