DHR Childcare Services - FY27 CITI Arise Care

The Alabama Department of Human Resources Child Care Services Division is soliciting maintenance and operations services for the Arise CARE system from Creative Information Technology Inc (CITI) under a sole-source RFQ, with quotes due September 24, 2026. This is a sole-source procurement with no competitive bidding.

CITI shall provide comprehensive ongoing support for the customized Arise Care Management System from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027, including dedicated helpdesk support for families and childcare providers, product licensing, enhancements and change requests, maintenance of online portals, software issue monitoring and resolution, and support for time and attendance, licensing, mobile app, and childcare subsidy eligibility functions. CITI retains proprietary rights to the software and source codes and shall be authorized to access all functioning aspects of the system.

Payment is processed based on a formula fee structure, with the total price submitted as a unit price (UOM = 1 each) over the 12-month contract period. Payment terms are Net 30, paid in arrears. The Standard Terms and Conditions document establishes a contract cost not to exceed $25,000 with a maximum contract period of five years from the effective date through potential annual renewal by written agreement. CITI shall support all payment processing activities and assign a dedicated point of contact to work with the DHR Finance team on payment-related issues.

Suppliers must register in Alabama Buys and submit responses electronically through the Public Solicitation site. All inquiries must be submitted through the Supplier Portal. Suppliers must accept multiple forms of electronic payment without additional cost to the State, including state credit cards, P-cards, and EFT transfers. E-Verify enrollment verification and Alabama sales tax compliance certification are required. Price escalation requests may be considered if material, labor, or other contract components significantly increase, provided increases do not exceed industry-specific price index or CPI increases and are capped at five percent of annual contract costs.