Customized VR simulation game

The South Carolina State Fiscal Accountability Authority (SFAA) Division of Procurement Services is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) on behalf of the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education (SBTCE) and the SC NEXUS Education and Workforce Center to procure a customized Virtual Reality simulation game designed to educate South Carolina residents, particularly middle and high school students, on careers in the advanced resilient energy sector. The procurement requires the selected vendor to develop, engineer, and fabricate a comprehensive VR educational platform that includes an introductory video (5-7 minutes), two marketing videos, six individual training modules covering utility line workers, manufacturing assemblers/operators, maintenance technicians, grid cybersecurity analysts, structural welders, and nuclear operators, a realistic 5-10 minute team-based VR game, 50 VR headsets with protective cases, and an analytics dashboard with leaderboard capabilities. Mandatory minimum qualifications require offerors to demonstrate successful creation of a VR experience for a customer and possess at least two years of VR experience. The evaluation process occurs in three phases: Phase I awards up to 80 points for quality of VR experience (50 points) and experience, timeline, and support (30 points); Phase II evaluates value (20 points) for offerors with a mathematical chance of ranking in the top three; Phase III allows re-evaluation of overall proposed solution (20 points) for the top three-ranked offerors. Key deadlines include a pre-proposal conference on April 27, 2026 at 11:00 AM EST via web conference, a question submission deadline of April 28, 2026 at 11:00 AM EST, proposal submission due May 6, 2026 at 11:00 AM EST, and award notification scheduled for June 22, 2026. The contract term is one year with two additional one-year renewal options, providing a maximum contract period of three years.

The solicitation documentation does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions limiting participation to disadvantaged enterprises or other organizational categories. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the available procurement materials. Vendors must submit pricing as a separate fixed-price document with itemized costs for each contract year and total potential three-year contract value, along with supporting cost explanations; however, the specific budget range or maximum award value is not disclosed in the solicitation summary. Offerors are required to collaborate with an RV mobile lab vendor and the SC Technical College System throughout the development process and must submit a Service Provider Security Assessment Questionnaire with their proposal. Proposals must include detailed narratives addressing all RFP requirements point-by-point, resumes of key personnel, organizational charts, descriptions of similar completed projects with challenges encountered, detailed implementation schedules, support and training plans, and information on software update and data analytics capabilities. Award will be made to the highest-ranked, responsive, and responsible offeror whose offer is determined most advantageous to the State.