APEX DIGITAL CURRICULUMSOLUTION

The South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) Purchasing Branch issued a Request for Quote (RFQ) for a digital curriculum solution serving the Palmetto Unified School District (PUSD), which educates approximately 2,500 incarcerated students across 21 sites in 16 counties. The procurement sought a one-year access license for a web-based platform aligned with South Carolina academic standards, specifically targeting grades 9-12 and adult education populations ages 17 and older. The digital curriculum must support adult basic education, career and technical education, tutorials, and test preparation, including TABE. The solicitation included two line items: unlimited courses and unlimited tutorials, both requiring comprehensive digital curriculum with differentiated instruction, tiered intervention strategies, student assessment and reporting capabilities, and 24/7 technical support. Key deliverables included a platform with firewall whitelisting through SonicWall, exhaustive lists of required links, IP addresses, and ports for IT security vetting. The RFQ opening date was December 3, 2020, at 10:00 a.m., with award notification scheduled for December 8, 2020, and sealed offers to be submitted to the SC Department of Corrections Purchasing Branch in Columbia, SC.

The solicitation permitted South Carolina resident vendor preference, South Carolina end-product preference, and U.S. end-product preference claims if applicable qualifications were met. Vendors were required to register with the State of South Carolina and obtain a vendor number prior to submission. The budget cap for the solicitation was $60,000 for concurrent seat licenses and professional development combined. Ultimately, Apex Learning was awarded the contract for a total of $59,995.00, with $37,500.00 for unlimited courses and $22,495.00 for unlimited tutorials. The awarded vendor must provide comprehensive support services, including 24/7 technical support, initial introductory training for teachers, and professional development via webinar or live session. Late delivery penalties were established, ranging from 5% per increment for delays of 1-15 days. The contract requires the platform to incorporate features such as differentiated instruction, tiered intervention strategies, student confidence and motivation tools, practice and assessment capabilities, and comprehensive reporting including grade books and mastery tracking.