9280-26-R-IFBD-00029

The University of Southern Mississippi's Office of the Director of Procurement Services is soliciting sealed bids for solicitation 9280-26-R-IFBD-00029 to procure an enterprise-grade managed cybersecurity monitoring and incident response program. The University seeks a comprehensive, cloud-delivered security service providing continuous monitoring, advanced threat detection, and coordinated incident response across its institutional technology environment supporting approximately 9,500 active users, 300 servers, and cloud-based infrastructure. Required deliverables include a 24/7 Security Operations Center staffed by trained cybersecurity professionals, initial cybersecurity assessment, identity and access security controls with multi-factor authentication, email and collaboration security, endpoint detection and response capabilities, server and cloud workload monitoring, penetration testing services, centralized SIEM with log collection and analytics, disaster recovery and business continuity planning, and structured incident response coordination with defined severity classifications and notification procedures requiring confirmation of high-severity incidents within 72 hours. Vendors must demonstrate Microsoft alignment as verified Managed Security Services Providers through membership in the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association, Microsoft Security Partner Designation, Microsoft MDR/MXDR partner status, or documented security specializations, with minimum three customer references from implementations within the last 12 months, preferably from higher education institutions. The sealed bid submission deadline is Monday, March 9, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Central Time at Bond Hall, Room 214, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, with vendor questions due by 5:00 p.m. CST on March 3, 2026, and written responses provided by addendum no later than March 5, 2026. Proposals will be evaluated on a 100-point scale with weightings of 45 points for Cost, 40 points for Requirements, and 15 points for Implementation Schedule, with the University seeking a three-year agreement and potential two additional one-year renewals.

The procurement does not identify specific set-aside designations or disadvantaged enterprise restrictions based on the available documentation. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are listed in the solicitation materials. The solution must comply with the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services' State Enterprise Cloud Offsite Internet Hosting Security Policy, and all university security data remains the property of the University and must be returned in non-proprietary format upon contract termination. Vendors must submit one signed original and two signed copies along with an electronic copy via mail, MAGIC portal, or other specified delivery method using the provided Excel spreadsheet format in Appendix A. The University requests annual invoicing with payment processed within 45 days of invoice receipt in accordance with Mississippi Code Section 31-7-305 and will not assess additional service fees for VISA Purchasing Card transactions unless noted in the bid response. No specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the available solicitation documents.