UCO 1004-1 Library Web Services.pdf

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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

UCO-1004-1 Library Web Services Issue Date: 10/15/2026 Proposal Submission Due: 11/5/26 at 1:00PM Eastern Standard Time

Designated Contact:

Karen Pinckney, Purchasing Manager 205 East 42nd Street, 10th Floor New York NY 10017

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Table of Contents

Part 1: Key Events and Dates; Designated Contacts; Proposal Due Location; Contract Term

Part 2: Proposer Qualifications and Requirements; and Diversity Participation Goals

Part3: Project Objectives and Scope; Detailed Specifications and Deliverables and Certain Contract Specific Provisions……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….8

Part 4: Technical and Management Proposal Requirements (Proposal Volume II)

Part 5: Proposal Price Breakdown Pages (Proposal Volume III)

Part 6: Proposal Scoring Criteria and Weights

Part 7: Terms and Conditions of Contract

Part 8: Service Level Agreement (if applicable) ...................................................... .......................................................49.

Part 9: Supplier Diversity Provisions

Part 10: Important Notices to Proposers

FORMS THAT MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH THE PROPOSAL

□ Form 1: Proper Information and Authorized Signature; Acceptance of Contract Terms; Proper Certifications; Confidential Information; Signed RFP Addenda; and References

□ Form 2: Offeror’s Affirmation of Understanding of And Agreement pursuant to State Finance Law § 139-j(3) and § 139-j(6)(b)

□ Form 3: Offeror’s Disclosure of Prior Non-Responsibility Determinations and Certification of Compliance with State Finance Law § 139-j and § 139-k

□ Form 4: Diversity Practices Questionnaire

□ Form 5: Supplier Diversity (M/WBE/SDVOB) Utilization Plan and/or Supplier Diversity (MWBE/SDVOB) Request for Waiver Form (only for procurements with MWBE participation goals). Also see Supplier Diversity Provisions in Part 9.

□ Form 6: RFP Checklist

□ Form 20: Gender-Based Violence Training

FORMS THAT CUNY MAY REQUIRE FROM THE PRESUMPTIVE AWARDEE

If required by CUNY, the Presumptive Awardee selected as a result of this solicitation (the “Presumptive Awardee”) shall complete, sign, and submit the following forms and certifications as described in Section 2.3.5 through 2.3.12 of Part 10 of this RFP.

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� Form 7: Executive Law Article 15-A – Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement

� Form 8: Evidence in form and substance satisfactory to the University that the Contractor maintains workers’ compensation coverage and disability insurance coverage as required by the New York State Workers’ Compensation Law, or is exempt from this requirement

� Form 9: New York State Vendor Responsibility Questionnaire (NYS VendRep)

� Form 10: New York City Vendor and Principal Questionnaire (NYC PASSPort)

FORMS THAT THE CONTRACTOR MUST SUBMIT UPON REQUEST BY CUNY BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE

PROPOSED CONTRACT TERM

� Form 11: CUNY Substitute W-9 Form

� Form 12: Workforce Utilization Report

� Form 13: Supplier Diversity (MWBE/SDVOB) Quarterly Contractor Compliance & Payment Report

� Form 14: State Consultant Services – Contractor’s Planned Employment (Consultant Disclosure Form A)

� Form 15: State Consultant Services Contractor’s Annual Employment Report (Consultant Disclosure Form B)

� Form 16: Tax Law §5-a, Form ST-220-CA – Contractor Certification (Contractor to send to the University)

� Form 17: Tax Law §5-a, Form ST-220-TD – Contractor Certification (Contractor to send to the State)

� Form 18: Certified Weekly Payroll Report

� Form 19: Contractor’s Safety Protocols

� If requested by the University, an Accessibility Conformance Report (“ACR”) or a completed Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (“VPAT”) (If requested by University, MUST be submitted by Proposer, reviewed, verified, and accepted by CUNY prior to award of Contract, and Proposer MUST provide test temporary credentials for the appropriate University staff person to perform a test of the Services to ensure the Services meet the requisite accessibility standards.)

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Part 1: Key Events and Dates; Designated Contacts; Proposal Due Location; Contract Term

Key Events and Dates Action Date CUNY issues RFP for Library Web Services October 15, 2026

Submission of Written Questions Due Date 1 October 23, 2026 @ 1:00 pm Eastern Standard Time

Submission of Written Questions Due Date 2 October 30, 2026 @1:00 pm Eastern Standard Time Proposal Submission Due Date and Time November 5, 2026 @ 1:00 pm Eastern Standard Time

*If the Pre-Proposal Conference is mandatory, a Proposer’s failure to attend will render their Proposal non-responsive.

Proposers are advised to read all sections of this RFP document carefully, including all terms and conditions of the Part 7 - Form of Contract. By tendering a response to this solicitation, each proposer agrees that it accepts all terms and conditions in this RFP solicitation package without exception. If a proposer requires clarification, or if a proposer seeks to propose a change or an exception to, any of the terms and conditions contained in this RFP solicitation package, including to any of the terms and conditions to the form of contract in Part 7, then proposer must make any and all such requests in writing as part of a submission of written questions prior to the Written Questions Due Dates listed above. Requests for revisions or exceptions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and determinations will be published in an addendum to the RFP.

Proposers are not to rely upon an exception agreed to for a prior contract award to govern the terms of this solicitation – all proposed exceptions must be introduced and incorporated via addendum issued specifically for this solicitation. A proposer who submits requests for changes to the contract terms to the solicitation after the Written Questions Due Dates may result in the proposer’s proposal submission being deemed non-responsive by the University and not considered for contract award. For the avoidance of doubt, the University will not consider any requests to revise the contract terms after the Proposal Submission Due Date, and the University will not consider any requests to revise the contract terms after tentative Contract award.

CUNY reserves the right to amend any or all of the above dates and will issue such change in writing.

I. Designated Contact(s):

In compliance with the Procurement Lobbying Law, the individual(s) identified below are the Designated Contact(s) for this Request for Proposals solicitation and may be contacted for all inquiries regarding this solicitation:

The City University of New York 205 East 42 Street, 10th Floor New York, NY 10017

Attention: Karen Pinckney / Purchasing Manager E-mail: karen.pinckney@cuny.edu

UCO-1004-1 Library Web Services 4 mailto:karen.pinckney@cuny.edu

New York State Procurement Lobbying Law permits rejection of a Proposal if a Proposer has made any unauthorized contact during the Restricted Period (as defined in the Procurement Lobbying Law).

Multiple violations of procurement lobbying restrictions regarding permissible contacts may lead to a Proposer’s being debarred from participating in future New York State procurements.

II. Proposal Due Location:

CUNY is not responsible for the delivery or submission of Proposals. Only Proposals that are sent, and accepted by the Designated Contact, shall be accepted. CUNY is not responsible for Proposals received after the deadline, regardless of the reason for lateness. On a case-by-case basis, CUNY may deem it acceptable for Proposals to be submitted via e-mail. For this solicitation, CUNY will be accepting proposals via email.

• Proposals submitted via e-mail must include scans of original (wet) signatures and notarizations to be considered a valid Proposal.

• Proposals (including any excel spreadsheets) must be clearly labeled with three (3) separate pdf attachments clearly named for Volume I (Forms), Volume II (Technical Proposal), and Volume III (Price Proposal).

• Proposals submitted via e-mail must be clearly labeled with Proposer’s name and the RFP’s Project name by including the following subject line:

[Firm’s Name] – UCO 1004-1 Library Web Services Proposal.

III. Anticipated Number of Contracts

CUNY anticipates awarding up to one (1) contract(s) based on an evaluation of best value, as further described in Part 6 of this RFP.

IV. Anticipated Contract Term:

The Contract Term will be five (5) years, commencing on the date that the Contract is approved by the Attorney General and the New York State or New York City Comptroller.

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Part 2: Proposer Qualifications and Requirements; and Diversity Participation Goals

Paragraph I: Minimum Proposer Qualifications [mandatory qualifications]:

CUNY is seeking an appropriately qualified firm with experience in providing the Services described herein. To be considered for Contract award, the Proposer and any Subcontractor(s) must meet the following minimum qualifications:

a. As of the proposal due date, Proposer must offer a commercial off-the-shelf ("COTS") product (the "Proposed Product") with functionality substantially meeting the mandatory functional and technical requirements described in Sections 3.2 and 3.3 of this RFP. For purposes of this qualification, a COTS product is one that is currently generally available for purchase or license; a Proposal describing functionality that is planned, under development, in beta release, or to be built, engineered, or substantially customized specifically for CUNY does not satisfy this qualification and will be deemed non-responsive.

b. The Proposed Product must have been in continuous commercial production use, by at least one paying customer other than CUNY, for a minimum of five (5) years as of the proposal due date.

c. The Proposed Product must be in active production use, as of the proposal due date, at three

(3) or more higher education institutions in the United States, at least one of which had a combined student enrollment of 20,000 or more at the time of that institution's go-live.

d. Proposer must be authorized to conduct business in New York State;

e. Proposer’s Subcontractors, if any and if permitted under this RFP, must also possess appropriate qualifications and an acceptable level of experience, as determined by CUNY in its sole discretion.

Paragraph II: Non-Mandatory Proposer Qualifications: N/A

Paragraph III: Supplier Diversity Participation Goals

CUNY has established a 30% participation goal (based on the current availability of qualified MWBEs) in the aggregate for New York State certified Minority-Owned Business Enterprise ("MBE") and Women-Owned Business Enterprises ("WBE", and, together with MBE, "MWBEs") and a 6% participation goal (based on the current availability of qualified SDVOBs) for New York State certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses ("SDVOB"), to be part of the proposed team to provide the Services as subcontractor(s) or suppliers (the "Subcontractor(s)"). The Contractor shall be required to use good faith efforts to meet these participation goals.

Proposers may identify potential MWBE Subcontractor(s) by, among other means, referencing the directory of New York State certified MWBEs found at the following internet address:

https://ny.newnycontracts.com/

Proposers may identify potential SDVOB Subcontractor(s) by, among other means, referencing the list of New York State certified SDVOBs found at the following internet address:

https://ogs.ny.gov/veterans.

As part of the proposer's response, a Supplier Diversity—MWBE/SDVOB Utilization Plan or a Request for Waiver form that is accompanied by supporting documentation must be submitted in order for the proposal to be considered responsive. The selected Contractor will be required to complete a Quarterly Contractor Compliance & Payment Report accompanied by proof of payment to MWBE/SDVOB Subcontractor(s), in

UCO-1004-1 Library Web Services 6 https://ny.newnycontracts.com/ https://ogs.ny.gov/veterans such format as shall be required by CUNY on a quarterly basis during the term of the contract. Sample CUNY Supplier Diversity forms and reports may be found at https://www1.cuny.edu/sites/selltocuny/

UCO-1004-1 Library Web Services 7 https://www1.cuny.edu/sites/selltocuny/

Part 3: Project Objectives and Scope; Detailed Specifications and Deliverables;

and Contract-Specific Provisions

3.1 Project Objectives and Scope:

The City University of New York ("CUNY") seeks to procure a comprehensive, web-based library services platform that will serve over 250,000 students, faculty, and staff across 26 campuses (the "Solution"). The Solution must integrate with CUNY's enterprise systems as further described in this Part 3 and in Attachment A to this Part 3 (Information Technology Performance Requirements).

CUNY requires a commercial off-the-shelf ("COTS") product configured and deployed for CUNY's use, not a platform to be built, engineered, or developed as part of this Contract. The Proposed Product identified under Part 2, Paragraph I is the product that must satisfy Sections 3.2 and 3.3 below. Configuration, integration, data migration, and training are within scope; net-new software development to create required functionality is not, and a Proposal that relies on functionality to be built after Contract award does not meet a mandatory requirement, regardless of the label a Proposer gives that work.

Requirements in this Part 3 stated using "must" or "shall" are mandatory. A Proposal that does not meet a mandatory requirement is non-responsive to that requirement and will be scored accordingly under Part 6, Table 1; it will not be treated as an automatic pass/fail disqualifier from the procurement as a whole unless this RFP says so expressly (as it does for Part 2, Paragraph I). Requirements or capabilities expressly labeled "Preferred" or "Not Required" are non-mandatory; they do not affect a Proposal's responsiveness and are scored separately, as identified in Table 1.

CUNY estimates that the start date of the Contract will be upon Office of the State Comptroller's approval. The resulting Contract, including all terms of this RFP, shall supersede any "click-through," "click-wrap," and all other electronically presented or posted End User License Agreements or similar terms provided by Contractor or any parent or affiliate thereof, except to the extent included in Contractor's Proposal in accordance with Part 4 of this RFP.

3.2 Functional Requirements

Each requirement below is mandatory. Proposers must demonstrate how the Proposed Product's current, generally available functionality meets each requirement, including any requirement met through an add-on module, third-party integration, or alternative architecture within the Proposed Product. A description of functionality that is planned, in development, or would need to be built for CUNY does not satisfy a mandatory requirement.

3.2.1 Content Management System

CUNY libraries require a platform for creating, managing, and publishing subject guides, course guides, database lists, and instructional content. Staff across 26 campuses must be able to create professional, accessible web content without requiring technical expertise.

The Solution must:

• Provide template-based guide and page creation with consortium-level and campus-level branding options

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• Support reuse of content across guides and campuses, including shared assets, reusable content blocks, and system-wide database lists

• Support use of the content management platform as the primary public-facing website for individual campus libraries, including custom domain mapping, custom navigation structures independent of the guide hierarchy, and custom CSS and JavaScript injection, all configurable per campus without additional per-campus licensing fees

• Provide version history and the ability to restore previous versions of content

• Support draft, review, and published workflow states

• Provide mobile-responsive public-facing output across all content types

• Support an A–Z database list with subject and type filtering, editable at both campus and consortium level

• Support embedding of subject guides, course guides, and database lists directly into Brightspace course shells via LTI 1.3 or higher, with seamless authentication through the LTI launch and support for LTI Deep Linking

• Expose an OAI-PMH endpoint for guide content metadata supporting standard Dublin Core output, compatible with Ex Libris Alma/Primo VE import profile configuration, and configurable to expose metadata at the campus or consortium level

• Provide usage statistics at the guide, page, asset, and database-link level, exportable in standard formats

3.2.2 Virtual Reference and Communication Services

CUNY libraries provide reference assistance via chat, email, and ticketing. Multiple campuses participate in a cooperative service sharing coverage across the consortium, including after-hours coverage.

The Solution must:

• Provide real-time chat with queue management, including the ability to transfer chats between operators and campuses

• Support a cooperative or consortium chat model in which chats from one campus queue can be answered by staff at another campus, while preserving per-campus branding and per-campus reporting

• Allow chat widgets to be embedded in guides, library web pages, and Brightspace course shells

• Support canned responses and a shared knowledge base of FAQs, editable at both campus and consortium level

• Provide an email-based ticketing system with queue management, assignment, and status tracking, with tickets creatable automatically from incoming email and from chat transcripts

• Archive all chat transcripts and ticket records, searchable by date, operator, campus, and topic, and retained for a minimum of three (3) years

• Provide usage analytics including chat volume, response times, and ticket resolution rates at both campus and consortium level, exportable in standard formats and sufficient for ACRL reporting

• In the cooperative chat model, display the originating campus branding to the patron throughout the session regardless of which campus's operator responds, support configurable fallback queues for after-hours routing without requiring the patron to re-initiate the chat, and

UCO-1004-1 Library Web Services 9 provide operators with visibility into the patron's originating campus and the page or guide from which the chat was launched

3.2.3 Scheduling, Booking, and Appointment Services

The Solution must:

• Provide public-facing event calendars with self-service registration, configurable per campus, with calendar exports in iCal format and integration with Google Calendar and Outlook, and automated confirmation and reminder notifications to registrants

• Provide self-service room and equipment reservation with configurable booking rules, approval workflows, and utilization reporting at campus and consortium level

• Provide appointment scheduling for individual librarians and service desks with configurable availability, automated patron communications, and per-librarian and campus-level reporting

• Provide service desk scheduling and shift management for library staff, integrated with the calendar and appointment services above

3.2.4 E-Reserves

Whether e-reserves functionality is delivered as a module within the CMS, as a standalone component, or through another architecture is left to the Proposer to describe; the following capabilities are required regardless of architecture.

The Solution must:

• Support the creation and management of e-reserves reading lists associable with specific courses, instructors, and terms

• Provide a faculty request workflow with library staff review, approval, and denial functions, and automated faculty notification

• Support uploading and secure storage of documents as well as linking to items in licensed databases

• Include access controls allowing restriction of reserve materials by course enrollment, password, or IP range, with automated visibility controls scoped to relevant terms or date ranges

• Include a copyright and permissions workflow for each item, with the ability to record copyright statements, fair use determinations, license terms, and permission status, and to display customizable copyright notices to users

• Support embedding of e-reserves reading lists directly into Brightspace course shells via LTI 1.3 or higher, with seamless authentication through the LTI launch

• Allow point-of-need integration within e-reserves views, including inline chat widgets and links to related subject guides

• Provide usage statistics at the course and item level, exportable in standard formats

3.2.5 Forms, Surveys, and Assessment

The Solution must:

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• Provide a custom form and survey builder with branching logic, conditional display, and multiple question types

• Support gradable quiz and knowledge-check creation for library instruction contexts

• Support embedding of forms, surveys, and quizzes in guides and library web pages

• Provide summary analytics within the administrative interface and data export of all responses in standard formats

3.2.6 Statistics and Usage Reporting

Note: CUNY uses Ex Libris Alma Analytics for collection and circulation statistics. This section addresses platform-native usage reporting only.

The Solution must:

• Provide centralized consortium-level reporting aggregating usage data across all modules, with campus-level reporting scoped to individual institutions

• Support data fields required for ACRL and IPEDS annual reporting

• Allow custom report creation and scheduled report delivery, with data export in CSV and Excel formats

• Retain usage data for a minimum of three (3) years

3.2.7 Preferred Capabilities (Not Required)

The following are not required but will be weighted favorably in evaluation:

• Single vendor providing all required modules with seamless integration, unified administration, and consistent branding controls

• Automated matching of guides and e-reserves content to Brightspace courses based on course metadata, without requiring manual selection per course

• Library hours and locations management integrated with the scheduling and events system, configurable per campus and service point

• Consortium-level analytics dashboards aggregating data across all campuses

3.3 System-Wide Technical Requirements

CUNY Login, Brightspace, and Ex Libris Alma/Primo VE are CUNY's existing, centrally managed enterprise systems, used across all 26 campuses. The requirements in Sections 3.3.1 through 3.3.3 accordingly require integration with these specific systems, rather than with "an SSO provider," "a learning management system," or "a discovery layer" generically. Within that constraint, CUNY allows flexibility in integration method wherever more than one method can achieve the required result—for example, the choice among a direct interface, an API-based integration, or another architecture in Section 3.3.3—and Proposers should describe the method their Proposed Product uses. That method-level flexibility does not extend to substituting a different underlying system for CUNY Login, Brightspace, or Alma/Primo VE.

3.3.1 Authentication and SSO

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The Solution must integrate with CUNY's single sign-on system via SAML 2.0 across all modules, as further set forth in Attachment A. In addition to the requirements in Attachment A, the Solution must:

• Enforce SSO across all modules of the Solution without exception

• Support automated provisioning and deprovisioning of user accounts tied to CUNY Login, with configurable grace-period access for alumni and other departing users and configurable data retention rules upon account expiration

• Support authentication for both staff and patron users within the same SSO integration, with configurable rules governing which content requires authentication, and without requiring a separate identity provider configuration or authentication flow for patron access to restricted content

3.3.2 LTI Integration

The Solution must support LTI 1.3 or higher for integration with CUNY's learning management system (currently Brightspace by D2L). This requirement is not addressed by Attachment A and is mandatory.

The Solution must:

• Enable embedding of subject guides, course guides, database lists, and e-reserves reading lists within Brightspace course shells

• Authenticate users seamlessly through the LTI launch without requiring a separate login

• Support LTI Deep Linking to allow librarians or faculty to select and embed specific content into individual course modules

• Support both course-context placements (associated with a specific course by course code, section, or CRN) and institution-context placements (embedded generically without course-specific association), functioning within the same LTI 1.3 tool configuration without requiring separate tool registrations per campus

• Be configurable at the campus level, allowing individual campuses to manage their own Brightspace tool placements independently

3.3.3 Link Resolver and API

The Solution must integrate with CUNY's link resolver and library discovery system (currently Ex Libris Alma/Primo VE) to enable seamless full-text access from database lists, guides, and e-reserves items.

Proposers must describe the method and scope of this integration in their technical proposal.

The Solution must provide a documented REST API covering at minimum guide content, database lists, chat and ticket data, scheduling data, and e-reserves data, with standard authentication (OAuth 2.0 or API key) and documentation sufficient for CUNY developers to build and maintain integrations independently.

3.3.4 Administrative Requirements

The Solution must provide a centralized administrative interface enabling CUNY's Office of Library Services to manage consortium-wide settings with delegated campus-level administration. The Solution must allow administrators to:

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• Create, manage, deactivate, and restore user accounts at consortium and campus levels, with delegated administration for campus administrators, and at minimum distinct roles for students, faculty, staff, librarians, campus administrators, and consortium administrators

• Create and maintain shared templates, branding standards, and content assets at the consortium level

• Measure and report on usage at the module, campus, and consortium level, including page views, active users, appointments booked, chat sessions initiated, survey responses collected, and e-reserves items accessed

• Manage copyright compliance documentation for e-reserves items

• Configure system-wide and campus-level settings for all modules without requiring vendor intervention for routine administrative tasks

3.3.5 Accessibility

The Solution must comply with all applicable federal and state accessibility laws and regulations, as further set forth in Attachment A. All public-facing interfaces—including subject guides, event calendars, booking interfaces, chat widgets, e-reserves views, and forms—and all staff-facing administrative interfaces must conform to WCAG 2.1 AA or higher throughout the term of the Contract.

3.3.6 Security, Privacy, and AI

Security and privacy requirements are governed by Attachment A. The following requirements supplement Attachment A and govern this Contract specifically:

3.3.6.1 Security Attestation

Contractor must maintain a current security attestation demonstrating its organization's security controls and practices, issued within the last 12 months by an independent third-party auditor or certification body. Acceptable attestations are, in order of preference:

• SOC 2 Type II report (preferred)

• HECVAT (Higher Education Community Vendor Assessment Toolkit)—Full or Lite version

• ISO 27001 certification

• SOC 3 report

• PCI DSS compliance documentation, if the Solution processes payment card data

SOC 2 Type II is preferred over Type I. Contractor must provide its current attestation to CUNY prior to Contract award and annually thereafter upon request. Contractor must notify CUNY promptly if its attestation lapses or if a material finding is identified in any audit or assessment.

3.3.6.2 FERPA

The Solution must comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Contractor shall not disclose education records or personally identifiable information derived therefrom except as permitted by FERPA and as necessary to provide the Services.

3.3.6.3 Data Residency

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All CUNY data processed and stored by the Solution must reside within the United States.

Contractor must disclose in its technical proposal the location(s) of all data centers used to provide the Services, including any third-party subprocessors that may store or process CUNY data, and must notify CUNY in writing prior to any change in data residency.

3.3.6.4 Breach Notification

In the event of a confirmed or suspected data breach, Contractor must notify CUNY within 24 hours of detection and provide timely status updates, impact assessments, and mitigation steps in accordance with applicable laws and University policy.

3.3.6.5 Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

To the extent the Solution incorporates artificial intelligence or machine learning features, CUNY data—including user-generated content, guide content, chat transcripts, appointment records, form and survey responses, usage data, and any other data submitted by or generated on behalf of CUNY users—shall be used solely for the purpose of providing the Services and shall not be used to train, fine-tune, or otherwise improve any AI or machine learning model, whether proprietary to the Contractor or provided by a third party. Contractor must disclose in its technical proposal all AI or machine learning features present in the Solution, identify any third-party AI service providers whose models interact with CUNY data, and describe how CUNY data is isolated from model training pipelines.

3.3.7 Performance and Reliability

Performance and reliability requirements, including uptime commitment, SLA credits, monitoring, backup, disaster recovery, and data portability, are governed by Attachment A. In addition, page load times for the Solution must be under 3 seconds for standard operations under normal load conditions.

3.4 Implementation, Migration, and Training

3.4.1 Implementation

Implementation services are required. CUNY's Office of Library Services will provide oversight and coordination. Project management requirements—including project planning, status reporting, RAID log, QA and testing, change management, post-implementation stabilization, and project closure—are governed by Attachment A.

If the Proposed Product is already in production use by CUNY as of the proposal due date, Contractor's obligations under this Section 3.4.1 are limited to the work necessary to bring the existing deployment into compliance with the mandatory requirements of Sections 3.2 and 3.3 that are not already met by the current deployment, plus any reconfiguration necessary to reflect changes in scope from the current deployment (if any). Contractor must identify, for each mandatory requirement in Sections 3.2 and 3.3, whether it is met by the current deployment as of the proposal due date or requires new configuration, integration, or migration work, and must price and schedule implementation services under Part 5 and Section 3.7.3 accordingly.

Contractor shall additionally:

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• Provide a detailed implementation timeline with milestones as part of the proposal, including explicit milestones for SSO integration acceptance (signed off by CUNY Central IT) and LTI integration acceptance (signed off by the CUNY Brightspace team)

• Deploy and configure the Solution across all CUNY campuses

• Perform all technical integrations in coordination with CUNY Central IT and the CUNY

Brightspace team; CUNY will provide sandbox credentials and conduct acceptance testing for SSO and LTI integrations

• Conduct WCAG 2.1 AA compliance testing of all interfaces prior to go-live and remediate all identified deficiencies; provide an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) or completed VPAT accepted by CUNY as a go-live condition

• Provide rollback procedures in case of implementation issues

• If directed by CUNY, pilot test the Solution at select campuses prior to full rollout at no additional cost

3.4.2 Data Migration

CUNY is currently using the Springshare suite of products (including LibGuides, LibCal, LibAnswers, LibWizard, LibReserves, and LibInsight) across 26 colleges and a central office instance. If directed by CUNY, Contractor shall provide data migration services from CUNY's existing platform. Migration services are one-time, non-recurring, and priced separately in Part 5.

Contractor shall:

• Assess the scope and format of all existing data designated by CUNY for migration and provide a written migration plan, including data mapping and transformation rules, prior to commencement of any migration activity

• Provide migration services for any combination of the following data types as directed by CUNY:

guide and page content; database lists and assets; calendar events, room bookings, and appointment records; chat transcripts and ticket history; FAQ and knowledge base content;

form and survey content and response data; and e-reserves reading lists, uploaded documents, and copyright records

• Work with each of CUNY's 26 colleges and CUNY's central office instance on campus-specific migration requirements and configurations

• Conduct validation testing to confirm the accuracy and integrity of all migrated data prior to go-live and provide CUNY with a written post-migration audit report

• Preserve internal linking, ownership and authorship metadata, relational associations between e-reserves items and their courses and copyright records, and operator and campus association in chat transcript archives; and demonstrate in the technical proposal prior experience migrating guide content, scheduling data, virtual reference archives, and e-reserves records from a multi-campus consortium platform

• Notify CUNY in writing if data provided for migration differs materially from any data reviewed during the proposal or scoping process, and obtain CUNY's written approval before proceeding if such differences would affect cost, timeline, or data integrity

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No additional fees arising from data quality issues may be charged without CUNY's prior written authorization. CUNY is responsible for completing any necessary data cleanup and quality review prior to providing data to Contractor for migration.

3.4.3 Training

Training requirements are governed by Attachment A. In addition, Contractor shall:

• Provide a minimum of two (2) full days of in-person training at a CUNY-designated location in New York City, with separate tracks for public services staff, systems administrators, and end users

• Provide recorded sessions for all training delivered, available to CUNY throughout the term of the Contract

• Provide a dedicated customer success manager for implementation and ongoing support

3.4.4 Ongoing Support and Maintenance

Contractor shall provide the following throughout the term of the Contract:

• Regular software updates, feature enhancements, and bug fixes, delivered without additional cost to CUNY

• Security patches for critical vulnerabilities applied immediately upon availability; patches for non-critical vulnerabilities applied within timeframes consistent with Attachment A and the SLA in Part 8

• Advance written notice to CUNY of any material changes to the Solution, including deprecation of features, changes to integrations, or modifications to data handling practices, with sufficient lead time for CUNY to assess impact and plan accordingly

• A dedicated customer success manager as the primary point of contact for CUNY's Office of Library Services for the duration of the Contract

• An online support portal through which CUNY administrators can submit, track, and manage support tickets, consistent with the response time requirements in Attachment A and Part 8

3.5 Contractor Responsibilities

3.5.1 Subcontracting

Contractor shall not subcontract any part of the Contract without CUNY's prior written consent, which may be withheld, conditioned, or rescinded at CUNY's sole discretion. CUNY reserves the right to require removal of any previously approved subcontractor.

3.5.2 Location of Services

Contractor shall provide Services remotely unless CUNY expressly requests on-site work for a specific task. Any on-site work must be pre-approved in writing, performed at no additional cost, and Contractor must supply its own equipment.

3.5.3 Project Team

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Contractor shall designate a Project Team responsible for implementation, technical integration, training, data migration (if applicable), and ongoing support. Key Team Members are defined as the project manager, lead technical specialist, SSO/LTI integration lead, training lead, and any other individuals with direct client-facing responsibility or decision-making authority under the Contract. All Key Team Members and their replacements are subject to CUNY's prior written approval. Contractor shall notify CUNY in writing prior to any replacement of Key Team Members.

Contractor shall designate a Senior Manager who shall serve as principal liaison between CUNY and Contractor, maintain control over the Project Team, be employed by Contractor, and have full decision-making and financial authority on behalf of Contractor. Any mid-term change of Senior Manager requires CUNY's prior written approval.

3.5.4 Communications

Contractor shall obtain CUNY's prior written approval before making any statement to the press or issuing any communication concerning the Project.

3.5.5 Return of CUNY Data at Termination

Within ten (10) calendar days of termination of Services for any reason, Contractor shall return all CUNY data in a standard, non-proprietary format and destroy all copies, providing independent certification of destruction.

3.5.6 Invoices

Contractor shall submit invoices in a format and at intervals approved by CUNY, with sufficient supporting documentation. CUNY will not pay for work beyond the scope of this Contract or for any change order not authorized in writing in advance.

3.6 CUNY Responsibilities

CUNY will designate a central liaison and each college will designate a College Manager to liaise with Contractor.

CUNY will provide sandbox credentials and acceptance testing support for SSO and LTI integrations, systems documentation as required, and college holiday schedules. CUNY will not provide clerical support, computer hardware, or software to Contractor.

3.7 Invoicing and Payment

All prices shall be fully loaded, inclusive of all costs necessary to perform the Services. No additional amounts are payable under this Contract.

3.7.1 Annual Subscription/License Price

Contractor shall issue one (1) advance invoice on September 1st of each contract year, Net 90 days.

3.7.2 Initial Partial Year (Year 0)

If Production Go-Live occurs after July 1st in the first contract year, Contractor shall submit a single pro-rated invoice covering Go-Live through June 30th of the following year, calculated on a daily basis.

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3.7.3 Implementation Services Price

Milestone invoices shall be issued upon CUNY's written acceptance of:

(1) Project Kick-Off and Requirements Validation—20%

(2) SSO and LTI Integration Acceptance—30%

(3) User Acceptance Testing Sign-Off—20%

(4) Production Go-Live and Knowledge Transfer—30%

3.7.4 Migration Services Price

If directed by CUNY, milestone invoices shall be issued upon CUNY's written acceptance of:

(1) Migration Plan and Data Mapping—25%

(2) Migration Execution and Validation—50%

(3) Post-Migration Audit and Sign-Off—25%

3.7.5 Support and Training

Training (Section 3.4.3) and support (Section 3.4.4) are included in the annual Subscription/License Price and shall not be invoiced separately.

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Part 4: Technical and Management Proposal Requirements (Proposal Volume II)

Proposer shall provide a brief history and description of: Proposer’s business organization (with copies of organizational documents); its expertise and experience as it relates to the requirements discussed in the scope of work and specifications described in Part 3; its understanding of and approach to the Project; its process and timeline for rendering the Services; and plans for maintenance and support, to the extent applicable. The information should not exceed 10 pages and should include, but not be limited to:

4.1 Proposer’s Background:

• Proposer’s name and address and, if applicable, EIN. Also indicate the type of entity, for example, a corporation, partnership, or public organization.

• Name and title, address, email and telephone number of the person who receives correspondence and is authorized to make decisions or represent the Proposer. If these persons are different, include information for both.

• Total number of years Proposer has been in its current business.

• Brief history of Proposer’s operations to date, noting key milestones, challenges and successes, along with a statement and analysis of Proposer’s organization going forward, including its goals, strategic outlook, projected growth, etc.

• Documentation of Proposer’s organizational structure.

• Accessibility documentation, including VPAT.

4.2 Proposer’s Experience:

• Number of years Proposer has been providing the Services required by this RFP and description of operations, facilities and number of employees dedicated to the development of the Services required by this RFP.

• Biography and/or resumé for each Key Team Member, including personnel who would have direct contact with or provide services to the University. Indicate the roles they would play and describe their experience in performing the Services. For each, please include length of tenure with Proposer’s organization.

• Number of current customers using the Services solicited as part of this RFP; identify how many of such customers are higher education institutions.

• Proposed staffing plan for rendering the Services required by this RFP (including if plan to use any former CUNY employees triggering COELIG filing requirement)

4.3 Understanding and Approach to Rendering the Services; Schedule for Implementation:

• Describe Proposer’s understanding of the overall goals and requirements of the Project.

• Describe Proposer’s approach to meeting the goals and requirements of the Project.

• Describe the basis and evidence supporting Proposer’s ability to provide the Services required by this

Contract.

• Describe the process and timeline for rendering the Services (including, as relevant, implementation, end-user training and operationalizing any systems).

• Describe the processes used for both maintenance and support of any systems and the process for improving and updating systems

• Describe and provide plans for training and training for product changes and enhancements.

• Value Added: Discuss any additional value, expertise, processes, technology, solutions, and the like to further the goals of the Project that Proposer can provide.

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4.4 License Agreement

• A Proposer may include its standard End User License Agreement or similar document (“EULA”) for the application solution, as part of its Technical and Management Proposal. If awarded the Contract, the EULA will be deemed part of the Proposal and will become part of the Contract. The University reserves the right to reject the Proposal if the University deems the terms of the agreement to be unacceptable, in the University’s sole discretion. The University further reserves the right to negotiate such terms with the vendor, provided that the final terms must be equally favorable or more favorable to the University than the EULA terms contained in the Proposal.

• A copy of any terms and conditions referenced in the EULA by hyperlink must be included in the Proposal.

The College cannot incorporate terms by reference.

• The terms of this RFP, including but not limited to Parts 3 and 7, shall take precedence over any conflicting terms in the EULA, or any terms addressing the same subject matter as the RFP terms. Further, any of the following terms shall be deemed void and excluded from the Contractor’s EULA:

o Neither CUNY nor any user may be required to defend, indemnify, or hold the Contractor harmless for any liabilities, claims, or expenses. The College’s indemnification obligations shall be solely as set forth in Part 7 (Terms and Conditions);

o Neither CUNY nor any user of the Solution shall not be required to grant a license to Contractor to use, reproduce, or disclose any user information, confidential information, or any user or College intellectual property, as a condition of using the Services, except for the sole purpose of providing the Services;

o Notwithstanding any disclaimer of warranties, Contractor warrants that the Solution shall function in all material respects as required by this Contract and in accordance with the applicable product’s documentation, throughout the Term of the Contract;

o Any mandatory arbitration clauses shall be deemed void;

o Any limitations of liability shall be deemed void. Contractor’s liability shall be limited in accordance with Part 7 (Terms and Conditions) of this RFP;

o CUNY shall not be required to pay any costs other than for services rendered. Therefore, any requirements that CUNY pay for costs such as taxes, interest, penalty or late fees, acceleration costs, cancellation charges, litigation costs, or attorney’s fees shall be void;

o CUNY shall not be required to give up rights granted by law or common law, including, but not limited to: statutes of limitations, trial by jury, limitation of remedies, requirements to post bond for injunctions, to sue/or to limit liability for direct damages for personal injury, death, or damage to real property, tangible property, or intellectual property attributable to the negligence or other tort of the vendor, its officers, employees, or agents. The College also cannot agree to waive its right to sue or to limit the remedies available to CUNY against the Contractor;

o The terms of this Contract, including all attachments of the RFP and Proposal, shall not be deemed confidential;

o Any requirement that CUNY maintain insurance shall be void.

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Part 5: Proposal Price Breakdown Pages (Proposal Volume III)

Proposers must complete ALL line items in order for the Price Proposal to be deemed responsive. Failure to do so will result in the rejection of your Proposal. If there is no charge for a specific service, then state “$0” for that service. Each Service is deemed separate and must be priced separately.

1. Implementation Price (One-time, non-recurring): $____________________

2. Annual Price: (Complete the below table, as applicable. If any price is included in any other service, indicate such for the respective service.

Service Description

License Hosting Maintenance Support Training Annual Price

Year One $ $ $ $ $

Year Two

Year Three

Year Four

Year Five

Price for Five Years: $

Proposal Price (Implementation Price and Price for Five Years): $___________________

Write Proposal Price in Words: ________________________________

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Part 6: Proposal Scoring Criteria and Weights

Step 1: Administrative Review

CUNY will conduct an administrative review of each Proposal to ensure that all content has been submitted in accordance with this RFP (including a completed Form 1 signed by an authorized representative of Proposer and completed Forms 2 and 3) and that Proposers meet the Minimum

Qualifications set forth in this RFP. Proposals that do not include all required content will be deemed non-responsive and will not be granted any further consideration, unless CUNY deems such omissions non-material. Proposers are not permitted to alter or amend their Proposals after the Proposal

Submission Due Date and Time. After a firm has been identified for award, all Proposers will be notified.

Step 2: Scoring of Diversity Practices Questionnaire (5 Points)

Upon completion of its Administrative Review above, the University’s/College’s Procurement

Department will score the Diversity Practices Questionnaire. The Diversity Practices Questionnaire will be scored on the points system as indicated on the questionnaire. The total score received for each

Diversity Practices Questionnaire will be proportionally converted for a maximum of up to five (5) points. The scores for Proposers’ Diversity Practices Questionnaires will not be disclosed to CUNY’s

Technical Evaluation Committee (“Committee”) prior to their completion of their evaluation and scoring of Proposers’ Technical Proposals.

Step 3: Scoring of Volume II: Technical and Management Proposal (55 Points)

Members of the Committee will preliminarily score each Technical Proposal individually and then meet as a group to discuss and give final scores to the Technical Proposals. The preliminary Technical Score for each Proposal will consist of the sum of the scores given to the Technical Proposal by each of the

Committee members, divided by the number of Committee members with a maximum score indicated in this section, and will be provided to the University’s or College’s Procurement Office. Then the members of the Committee will meet as a group to discuss the Technical and Management Proposals.

After such group discussion, the Committee members will provide their individual final Technical Scores, which may or may not be the same as their preliminary Technical Scores, to the Procurement Office.

Step 4: Scoring of Volume III: Price…