25MASSSMS1 | Support School, District, and DESE Sustainable Improvement Efforts | Departmental MA

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is seeking a prequalified vendor list for a Master Service Agreement (MA) to support school, district, and state sustainable improvement efforts. The solicitation, identified as 25MASSSMS1, will establish a multi-year contract running through June 30, 2030, with the potential for extension to June 30, 2031. Vendors will provide comprehensive educational support services across multiple content expertise areas, including racial equity, academics, social-emotional learning, access and equity, grade-specific supports, and school/district systems. The procurement encompasses a wide range of service categories such as strategic planning, consulting, professional learning, curriculum implementation, assessment services, student support systems, and program evaluation. Bidders must submit responses through COMMBUYS, with priority review for submissions received by March 18, 2025, and rolling acceptance continuing through December 29, 2028. A pre-bid conference will be held via Zoom on February 11, 2024, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM, and questions can be submitted via email to DESEpartnerships@mass.gov. Evaluation criteria include a comprehensive scorecard with 100 total points, emphasizing areas such as Supplier Diversity Program Plan (25 points), model of support and effectiveness (30 points), staff qualifications (15 points), commitment to dismantling racial inequities (10 points), and fee structure alignment (10 points).

The solicitation includes robust supplier diversity requirements, mandating that all bidders commit to spending at least 1% of contract sales with businesses certified by the Supplier Diversity Office (SDO) across eight diversity categories, including Minority-Owned, Women-Owned, Veteran-Owned, Disability-Owned, and LGBTBE enterprises. The Supplier Diversity Program accounts for 25% of the total bid evaluation points, with higher percentages of commitment earning more points. Bidders must submit all-inclusive budgets using either deliverables-based or hourly/daily rate structures, with indirect costs not exceeding 8%. While no specific contract value is mentioned, the agreement is open for use by multiple state entities, including DESE, Early Education and Care, Executive Office of Education, Board of Higher Education, and Children's Trust Fund, as well as individual schools and districts. Vendors must comply with comprehensive requirements, including IT security standards, intellectual property provisions, and mandatory background checks for staff potentially working with children. The procurement is structured to create a pre-qualified vendor list from which schools and districts can select partners for specific improvement initiatives, with each entity executing their own contracts under their specific procurement regulations.