GEAR UP Ky- SAT Platform Q&A

The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education is soliciting proposals for a GEAR UP Kentucky SAT preparation and remediation platform under RFP 415 2700000032, with proposals due November 6, 2026 after a solicitation modification extended the original October 30 deadline. No set-aside has been identified for this procurement.

The vendor must provide a user-friendly software platform with SAT-aligned practice testing, projected score generation, individualized and group remediation tools, FERPA-compliant data collection, and exportable dashboards with real-time administrator access for GUK staff. Services include virtual platform training, in-person teacher professional development workshops, and in-person SAT boot camps for 11th-grade students. The platform must serve approximately 2,500 middle and high school students across nine middle schools and eight high schools in eight partner school districts. Because the Kentucky Department of Education has not finalized whether SAT or ACT will be administered statewide, the vendor must demonstrate capacity to work with an alternative ACT platform. Every proposal must include a transmittal letter certifying willingness to implement that alternative at no cost above the submitted proposal price. The Commonwealth Office of Technology requirements include NIST SP 800-53 moderate-level controls, Kentucky Information Technology Standards, and FedRAMP certification or HITRUST/HIPAA compliance for cloud hosting. Required insurance is $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate commercial general liability, plus $1,000,000 per claim professional liability.

The vendor must commit to cost-sharing equal to a minimum of 50 percent of the federal grant match requirement, which may include discounted professional development, in-kind staff time and travel, additional materials, or add-on tools at no or reduced cost. The anticipated term runs December 1, 2026 through September 30, 2028, with the Commonwealth reserving renewal for up to two additional two-year periods, subject to Finance and Administration Cabinet and Legislative Research Commission approval. No contract value is stated.

Technical proposals are scored on 800 points: platform functionality (200), data analytics and reporting (200), professional development and training (125), student SAT workshops (125), implementation timeline and organizational capacity (75), and experience and evidence of impact (75). Cost proposals are scored on 200 points, split evenly between proposed cost and cost-sharing commitment. Oral presentations may be required for the top two ranked vendors and carry up to 100 points, for a maximum of 1,100 points. Proposals must be submitted electronically in separate Technical, Cost, and Proprietary Information parts, with the cost proposal on Attachment A.