DATA COLLECTION AND CONSULTATION

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) is seeking a contractor to provide data collection and consultation services for Indicator 14 compliance under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) through Solicitation 5400020798. The primary objective is to administer a post-secondary transition outcome survey and develop a web-based data collection, management, and reporting system for the Office of Special Education Services (OSES). The contractor must contact up to 6,500 former students between June 1st and August 31st annually, with a minimum of three contact attempts per student, using a web-based survey form and providing translation services for non-English speakers. Key deliverables include conducting surveys, entering data into a web-based system, and supporting OSES in monitoring local educational agencies and state-operated programs. The solicitation requires vendors to demonstrate expertise in Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI), extensive knowledge of the SPP/APR process, and experience developing web-based data collection solutions. Important dates include a February 26, 2021 deadline for submitting questions, with offers due by March 15, 2021 at 11:00 AM, and an anticipated award date of March 18, 2021. The proposed contract term is two years, from March 19, 2021, to March 18, 2023.

The procurement allows for South Carolina resident contractor and resident subcontractor preferences, with specific provisions for vendors identifying subcontractors whose work exceeds 10 percent of the total contract cost or involves access to government information. Vendors must submit comprehensive documentation, including resumes demonstrating experience, detailed narrative statements of qualifications, financial statements for the past two fiscal years, information on three recent comparable contracts, and disclosure of any failed projects or debarments. The solicitation includes two pricing line items: one for overall survey services covering 5,000 respondents per year, and a second for per-respondent pricing for up to 1,500 additional respondents. While specific budget ranges are not explicitly stated, vendors are required to submit fixed pricing with all costs included. The contract will be awarded to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder meeting all mandatory qualifications and solicitation requirements. The work will be performed at the SC Department of Education in Columbia, SC, and is subject to state procurement laws, including compliance with the Consolidated Procurement Code and regulations regarding ethics, debarment, drug-free workplace certification, and illegal immigration provisions.