FY26 ironscales IFB

The South Carolina Department of Health & Human Services has issued an Invitation for Bid (IFB) for the procurement of Ironscales email security licenses for Richland County, specifically seeking three distinct product lines: Email Protect licenses, Account Takeover Protection licenses, and Teams Protection licenses, each requiring 3,550 units. Prospective bidders must submit offers online at www.procurement.sc.gov by November 20, 2025, at 2:00 PM EST, with all questions required to be submitted by November 13, 2025, at 2:00 PM EST. To be eligible, bidders must be authorized Ironscales license resellers and must register as a state vendor prior to submission. The contract will be awarded to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder, with a contract term from December 19, 2025, to December 18, 2026. Bidders must comply with mandatory requirements including HIPAA standards, data encryption, debarment screening, and various federal and state information security standards. Evaluation will focus on unit pricing, with the extended price calculated by multiplying the unit price by the quantity of 3,550 units per line item.

Bidders may claim South Carolina or U.S. end-product preferences and South Carolina resident vendor preferences in accordance with state law. The procurement includes several compliance requirements, such as an Organizational Conflict of Interest Disclosure that mandates offerors disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could provide unfair competitive advantages. Vendors must submit a Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility, and Voluntary Exclusion for Lower Tier Covered Transactions, attesting that they and their principals are not debarred or suspended from federal participation. Additionally, nonresident vendors must comply with specific tax withholding requirements, including a 2% withholding on payments for temporary services. The state reserves the right to review disclosures, impose mitigation conditions, or disqualify offerors based on potential conflicts. While no specific funding amount is identified, the procurement involves licensing for email security solutions across three distinct product categories, suggesting a comprehensive cybersecurity enhancement initiative for the state's health and human services department.