9280-26-R-IFBD-00037

The University of Southern Mississippi's Office of the Director of Procurement Services is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the procurement, implementation, and ongoing support of a comprehensive Campus Mobile Application (BID 26-36, RFx number 3160007942). The application must support both iOS and Android platforms and serve as a centralized digital hub providing access to academic resources, campus services, communication tools, events, maps, safety information, and other mission-critical systems for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and visitors. Key deliverables include a fully functional mobile application with extensive reporting and analytics capabilities, configurable dashboards, real-time engagement metrics, comprehensive implementation support including project management and app store submission assistance, technical and functional user training, and help desk support during and after deployment. The solution must integrate seamlessly with existing university systems including PeopleSoft (SIS), Canvas (LMS), and Azure AD/SSO identity management, while meeting stringent security, compliance, and accessibility requirements including FedRAMP Low baseline controls, GDPR compliance, WCAG 2.2 accessibility standards, ADA compliance with Section 504 requirements, and U.S.-only data hosting with complete data exportability in non-proprietary formats upon contract termination. Additional requirements include role-based access controls, multi-language functionality, offline capabilities, a separate test environment, disaster recovery planning, patch management processes, and no-code, drag-and-drop development capabilities for administrative users. The University is seeking a five-year agreement with annual invoicing and payment processing within 45 days of invoice receipt in accordance with Mississippi Code Section 31-7-305. Sealed bids must be received at 118 College Drive #5003, Bond Hall, Room 214, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, by 2:00 p.m. Central Time on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. Vendor questions must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 30, 2026, with University responses provided by addenda no later than Wednesday, April 1, 2026. The evaluation committee will assess proposals based on cost (40 points), requirements compliance (35 points), and implementation schedule/project plan (25 points) for a total of 100 possible points, with the University reserving the right to reject any or all bids and not obligating itself to accept the lowest-priced proposal.

The RFP does not identify any set-aside designations, disadvantaged enterprise restrictions, or specific limitations on the types of organizations eligible to respond. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the procurement documents. Respondents must provide a minimum of three customer references from institutions that have implemented the proposed solution within the last 12 months, preferably from higher education institutions, demonstrating proven experience and capability. The University will utilize existing infrastructure including PeopleSoft for student information systems, Canvas for learning management, and Azure AD/SSO for identity management, requiring full integration with these platforms. The University may utilize VISA Purchasing Card for payments and will not accept additional service fees or handling charges for card payments unless otherwise noted in the bid response. No specific award value or budget range is disclosed in the procurement documents, though the University indicates that pre-payment contracts will include a pro-rata refund provision upon early termination based on the number of days remaining in the term year. Selected vendors may be invited to participate in oral presentations following the initial review and evaluation of submitted proposals.