Examination Administration System and Examination Proctoring Services

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has issued an Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) for Examination Administration System and Examination Proctoring Services covering exams for private investigators, firearms instructors, professional surveyors, and liquified petroleum gas professionals. The procurement seeks a single vendor to provide comprehensive online, remote delivery, and in-person examination administration services across Florida. Vendors must offer a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution with capabilities including 24/7/365 remote proctoring, AI-assisted monitoring, and ADA compliance, with a minimum requirement of 15 test center locations throughout the state. Key deliverables include managing approximately 1,919 annual exams, collecting examination convenience fees, and maintaining a secure testing environment where FDACS retains intellectual property rights to all exam content. The procurement timeline includes sealed replies due on January 6, 2025, at 5:00 PM ET, with a public opening on January 7, 2025, at 3:00 PM. The evaluation phase is anticipated in January 2025, with presentations and negotiations occurring in February-March 2025, and a final award recommendation expected on March 26, 2025.

The current incumbent for these testing services is Prometric LLC, which holds existing contracts with FDACS for both the Division of Licensing (Contract No. 30698) and Division of Consumer Services (Contract No. 30674). While no specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises were explicitly mentioned, the ITN indicates the contract will be a three-year agreement with options for up to three additional one-year renewals. The contractor's compensation will be structured through a development and implementation fee negotiated with FDACS, supplemented by examination proctoring convenience fees collected directly from examinees. For Division of Licensing exams, the established convenience fee is $70, while fees for Division of Consumer Services exams will be determined during negotiations. Vendors will be evaluated on multiple criteria, including the number of test locations (with up to 50 points awarded for 101+ locations), technical capabilities, and proposed service methodology. The department will ultimately select a vendor based on the most advantageous proposal that meets the state's comprehensive examination administration requirements.