9280-24-R-RFIN-00024

The state of Mississippi, through the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA), is seeking to procure the Exam Master Online and Academic Manager software platforms from Exam Master Corporation on a sole source basis under State and Local Contract Opportunity 66127ed92dcbad283e0707fc. The procurement is being conducted on behalf of the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) to support its Physician Assistant (PA) and other medical education programs. The Exam Master platforms provide a comprehensive assessment solution, including the ability to map competencies to test questions, offer detailed exam analytics and diagnostics, allow faculty content editing, and integrate with the XComP competency assessment system. USM has determined that Exam Master is the only vendor that can meet these specific requirements, as the platforms contain unique features and capabilities not found in other academic testing products. The total estimated cost for a 3-year contract is $8,392.80, which USM has deemed reasonable based on the value provided and budgeted costs for similar PA programs.

The proposed sole source procurement is open for public comments and objections until June 28, 2024, at 8:00 AM CST. If USM determines that the products can be provided by another source, the procurement will be submitted to a competitive bidding process; otherwise, USM will appeal to the Public Procurement Review Board to justify the sole source determination. The incumbent vendor is Exam Master Corporation, and the purchase will be funded through USM's existing budget allocations. The total estimated value of the proposed 5-year contract is $1.7 million, with an initial 1-year term and four 1-year renewal options.