ELECTRONIC BENEFIT TRANSFER (EBT)

The State of South Carolina, through the Department of Social Services and the Office of State Procurement, is seeking a comprehensive Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) system services provider for multiple state benefit programs, including SNAP, TANF, P-EBT, foster care and adoption subsidies, and child care provider payments. The procurement requires a vendor to provide full-service EBT capabilities, encompassing account establishment, transaction processing, customer service, retailer management, terminal deployment, settlement and reconciliation, reporting, and disaster preparedness functions. Offerors must meet mandatory minimum qualifications, including three successful comparable installations, five years of organizational experience, and a state or project manager with five years of experience and PMP certification. The initial contract term is one year, with six optional one-year renewals extending through October 10, 2028. Key procurement dates include a pre-proposal conference on June 15, 2021, question submission deadline of June 18, 2021, proposal due date of September 15, 2021, award notification on November 4, 2021, and final contract award on November 16, 2021. The proposal will be evaluated across three primary categories: technical merit (50 points), cost (25 points), and background/qualifications (25 points), with live demonstrations required for top-ranking responsive offerors.

The solicitation does not specify explicit set-aside designations or restrictions on respondent organizations. The state currently serves approximately 293,972 active SNAP cases, with monthly caseloads historically ranging between 301,544 and 352,617 cases. Pricing will be structured on a Cost Per Case Month (CPCM) basis for SNAP services, with setup costs allocated across the contract period and all ongoing expenses incorporated into the CPCM pricing structure. The incumbent contractor's current contract terminates March 31, 2021, indicating a transition is imminent. While specific budget ranges are not explicitly detailed, offerors are permitted to propose optional services with incremental cost adjustments. Proposals must be submitted electronically via http://www.procurement.sc.gov, with offerors required to submit one original proposal, a redacted copy, and a USB drive containing complete proposals with and without pricing information. The solicitation notes that offers must remain open for 120 calendar days following the opening date, and all vendors must be registered South Carolina vendors.