USNH_MSP_RFI (3).docx

UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

Request for Information (RFI) Contingent-Labor Managed Service Provider (MSP) Program — Market Research RFI No.: 2120271001 Issued: 9/15/2026 Responses due: 10/09/2026, 4:00 PM ET Point of contact: Hilary Neal, Director of Strategic Sourcing, Hilary.Neal@usnh.edu. All inquiries regarding this RFI must be directed to this contact only.

NOTICE: This is a Request for Information (RFI) issued for market-research and planning purposes only. It is not a Request for Proposals, an Invitation to Bid, or any other solicitation, and it will not result in a contract award. However, submitting a timely and responsive reply to this RFI is a prerequisite to participating in any future Request for Proposals (RFP) that USNH may issue for this program: only firms that respond to this RFI will be eligible to submit a proposal under a subsequent RFP. USNH has made no decision to proceed with any program and is not obligated to issue any future solicitation.

1. Introduction and purpose The University System of New Hampshire (USNH) is requesting information to conduct market research to understand provider capabilities, operating models, and current market practice for a potential vendor-neutral, system-wide contingent-labor Managed Service Provider (MSP) program.

2. About USNH USNH comprises three degree-granting institutions: the University of New Hampshire (with campuses in Durham and Manchester and the Franklin Pierce School of Law in Concord), Plymouth State University, and Keene State College. Together they serve approximately 27,000 students across five physical sites in distinct New Hampshire labor markets.

USNH directs an estimated $10.6M in annual contingent-labor spend, based on FY2025 data, across a fragmented base of staffing vendors. USNH is interested in understanding how a managed program could improve rate transparency, spend visibility, and consistent governance across the system. Student employees, work-study participants, graduate assistants, and adjunct faculty are outside the scope of this inquiry.

3. What USNH seeks to learn Through this RFI, USNH is interested in respondents' capabilities and market perspective in the following areas. Detailed prompts appear in Section 6.

1. Operating models for a vendor-neutral, multi-institution MSP program.

1. Vendor management system (VMS) technology and functionality.

1. Implementation and phased-rollout approaches for a multi-campus, public higher-education environment.

1. Rate transparency and program fee or funding structures (structural approaches, not a price quote).

1. Supplier management and demonstrated vendor-neutrality practices.

1. Handling of risk and compliance, including co-employment, worker classification, federal Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) on grant-funded labor, and awareness of collective-bargaining considerations.

1. Reporting, analytics, and the value or savings levers a managed program typically delivers.

1. Relevant cooperative-purchasing contract vehicles the respondent holds.

4. Important notices and conditions

1. Not a solicitation: This RFI is not a solicitation and will not itself result in a contract award, ranking, scoring, or selection of any respondent.

1. Mandatory participation for RFP eligibility: Submitting a timely and responsive reply to this RFI is a prerequisite to participating in any future RFP that USNH may issue for this program. Firms that do not respond to this RFI will not be eligible to submit a proposal under a subsequent RFP.

1. No obligation: USNH has made no decision to proceed and is under no obligation to issue an RFP or any other solicitation as a result of this RFI.

1. Respondent costs: Respondents are responsible for all costs incurred in preparing and submitting a response. USNH will not reimburse any costs.

1. Public records: Submissions become the property of USNH and may be used to inform the requirements of a future solicitation. Do not include information you consider confidential or proprietary unless clearly marked. USNH is subject to the New Hampshire Right-to-Know Law (RSA 91-A) and will handle marked materials in accordance with applicable law. [Confirm handling with General Counsel.]

1. Single point of contact: All communication regarding this RFI must go through the single point of contact named above. Respondents must not contact other USNH personnel regarding this RFI. USNH may, at its discretion, follow up with some, all, or none of the respondents; any follow-up confers no advantage in a future procurement.

5. Program context for respondents The following describes the potential program at a conceptual level to orient responses. It is provided for information only and does not represent a committed scope, requirement, or design decision. A managed program, if pursued, would seek to consolidate contingent-labor sourcing across the three institutions under a vendor-neutral model, with transparent rates, standardized requisition-to-pay processes, consolidated reporting, and appropriate handling of grant-funded and collective-bargaining-covered labor. Respondents are encouraged to describe the model they believe would best serve an organization of this size, dispersion, and public-sector or higher-education character.

6. Information requested Please organize your response to follow the numbered items below. Concise, specific answers are preferred over marketing material.

A. Firm profile and relevant experience

1. Provide an overview of your firm, including size, years operating MSP/VMS programs, and geographic footprint.

1. Provide case studies for public-sector and/or higher-education clients, particularly multi-campus systems. Include program scale (annual spend, worker headcount) where possible.

B. Operating model

1. Describe different operating models you would recommend for higher education institutions and/or University systems.

1. Explain how your models maintains vendor neutrality and equitable opportunity across the supplier base.

C. Technology (VMS)

1. Describe the VMS platform used, whether proprietary or third-party, and its core capabilities for requisition-to-pay, time capture, and invoicing.

D. Implementation and rollout

1. Describe a typical implementation approach and timeline

1. Describe challenges to change management and hiring-manager adoption in a centralized and decentralized environment observed in higher education.

1. Describe the the internal resources (program management, IT, and HR) a client should expect to commit, including any integration required with the client's ERP / HRIS.

E. Rate transparency and program economics

1. Describe how your model delivers rate transparency (for example, published rate cards, visible markups, pay-to-bill visibility).

1. Describe common program funding or fee structures (for example, supplier-funded markup) at a structural level. Do not provide a price quote in response to this RFI.

1. Describe the value and savings levers your programs have delivered for comparable clients, with illustrative ranges. Where possible, provide ranges from clients with a similar starting profile such as, previously unmanaged, fragmented, and first-generation MSP of comparable annual spend. Any figures are illustrative only.

1. Describe how savings typically phase in over the first 24 to 36 months, including time to first realized savings and the expected steady-state run rate.

1. Describe how you establish the savings baseline and how you measure and report realized savings, distinguishing hard from soft savings, and how a client can independently verify reported savings.

F. Supplier management

1. Describe how you recruit, onboard, and manage staffing suppliers.

1. Describe how you ensure supplier depth and role fill in smaller and rural labor markets, and provide typical fill-rate and time-to-fill metrics.

G. Risk and compliance

1. Describe your approach to co-employment and worker-classification risk (staff augmentation, statement-of-work, and independent contractor).

1. Describe your experience supporting compliance with federal Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) for contingent labor charged to sponsored/grant funds.

1. Describe your awareness of and approach to environments with collective-bargaining agreements.

H. Reporting and analytics

1. Describe standard and configurable reporting, including spend visibility, rate benchmarking, cycle times, and compliance dashboards.

I. Cooperative contract vehicles

1. List any cooperative-purchasing agreements you hold that a public higher-education system could use to contract for MSP/VMS services (for example, E&I Cooperative Services, Sourcewell, or others), including contract numbers and terms where available.

J. References

1. Provide two to three references from public-sector or higher-education MSP clients, including scope and duration of the engagement. Include at least one public higher-education or multi-campus system of comparable size and dispersion.

7. Submission instructions

1. How to submit: Submit responses electronically (PDF preferred) using USNH’s supplier portal.

1. Format: A response of approximately 15 to 20 pages is suggested; concise responses are welcomed. Please reference the section and item numbers in Section 6.

1. Questions: Respondent questions must be submitted in writing to the point of contact by the date in the schedule below. USNH intends to share consolidated responses to questions with all known respondents.

1. Subject line: Use the subject line: "RFI Response — Contingent-Labor MSP — [Respondent name]."

8. Tentative schedule The following schedule is provided for planning only and is non-binding. USNH may adjust or discontinue this process at any time.

9. Reservation of rights USNH reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to use or not use any information submitted; to contact some, all, or none of the respondents for clarification or informational discussions; to amend, suspend, or cancel this RFI; and to determine whether and how to proceed, including whether to issue any future solicitation. This RFI does not obligate USNH to any course of action.

This document is issued for market-research purposes and does not commit USNH to develop a program or to issue any solicitation. Procurement-integrity, eligibility, and public-records specifics should be confirmed with USNH General Counsel.