College & Career Readiness Partnership

LEAD Public Schools, a public charter network serving grades K-12 in Nashville, Tennessee, is issuing a Request for Proposal to solicit qualified organizations to design, implement, and sustain a comprehensive College & Career Readiness (CCR) strategy for grades 8-12. The selected contractor will provide fractional executive leadership as a Chief College & Career Officer, deploy platform and curriculum across grades 8-12, conduct strategic planning, and drive measurable improvements in student postsecondary outcomes. Key deliverables include weekly working sessions and monthly coaching for district leadership, platform implementation with student access within 30 days of contract execution, initial performance reporting within 60 days, a Critical Friends Site Visit with external CCR expert leaders, co-design of a Graduation Guarantee framework, a three-year CCR strategic plan, and a financial sustainability model. The contractor must demonstrate expertise in postsecondary readiness, data-driven strategy, and scalable implementation across multi-campus networks. The evaluation process consists of four stages: Stage 1 Administrative Compliance Review, Stage II Panel Evaluation & Scoring using weighted criteria totaling 100 points across proposer quality, curriculum and platform functionality, data security and compliance, value-added features, and financial proposal, Stage III Vendor Presentations/Demonstrations, and Stage IV Final Ranking & Recommendations. The question period closes May 11, 2026, at 3:00 PM CDT, with proposals due May 25, 2026, by 3:00 PM CDT through LEAD's Bonfire e-procurement portal; presentations are scheduled for the week of June 1, 2026, with contract award anticipated for the week of June 8, 2026, and contract commencement on July 1, 2026.

The RFP does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions on eligible respondents, and no incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the available documentation. Contractors must submit firm fixed pricing with complete itemized cost breakdowns by scope area, including fractional Chief College & Career Officer services, platform and curriculum rollout, site visit costs, Graduation Guarantee design, strategic plan development, and financial model development, along with detailed staffing and rate schedules. Required compliance documents include W-9, Certificate of Insurance naming LEAD Public Schools as certificate holder and additional insured, Suspension and Debarment Certification, Non-Collusion Affidavit, Authorization to Release Information, and Conflict of Interest Disclosure, with insurance requirements including Comprehensive General Liability Insurance with limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence, Automobile Liability Insurance with $1,000,000 combined single limit, and Workers Compensation Insurance at statutory limits. The contract term is three years with optional Years 4 and 5; however, specific award values or budget ranges are not disclosed in the RFP materials. LEAD reserves the right to cancel or amend the RFP process without liability and provides no guarantee of volume of work or exclusivity.