UCO-1019 Virtual Bookstore Operations Addendum No. 3.pdf

This is an addendum to the City University of New York's Request for Proposals for virtual bookstore operations serving 26 constituent institutions, including 11 senior colleges, 7 community colleges, Macaulay Honors College, and 7 graduate and professional schools. The RFP solicits comprehensive virtual bookstore services encompassing the sale and distribution of textbooks, course materials, digital content, general merchandise, and related products through an accessible, user-friendly online platform integrated with CUNY institutional systems. The contractor must support approximately 270,000 users with a minimum capacity of 15,000 concurrent users and provide support for students, faculty, and campus administrators. Proposals were due September 10, 2026, at 3:00 PM EST. Written questions were accepted in two rounds, with deadlines of August 24 and August 28, 2026, and responses were posted via addenda and the New York State Contract Reporter during the week of August 31, 2026. The contract term is five years with two optional renewal periods of three years and two years, contingent on satisfactory performance. All proposals must include Addendum No. 1 (August 27, 2026) and Addendum No. 2 properly signed, with submissions lacking required addenda subject to rejection.

The pricing structure is commission-based, including a one-time signing bonus, guaranteed annual commissions, and percentage-based commissions on course materials (estimated $10,000,000 annually) and general merchandise sales (estimated $1,000,000 annually), plus marketing expenditures per contract term. A 30 percent Minority and Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) contracting goal applies to the total contract value. Mandatory minimum qualifications require at least three years of experience providing virtual bookstore operations to large, multi-site educational institutions comparable to CUNY, a verifiable operating history of at least five years with three or more higher education clients, demonstrated financial viability, and compliance with PCI DSS, FACTA, ADA, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards. Proposers must demonstrate experience processing agency-based vouchers and financial assistance programs. The evaluation allocates 55 points to technical and management proposals (not exceeding 50 pages), 30 points to pricing (lowest price receives maximum points), 5 points to diversity practices, and up to 10 points to oral presentations and product demonstrations. Short-listed proposers comprise the top three finalists plus any within ten points of the highest score, who are invited for oral presentations.