Instructional Materials Textbook Management Systems

Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS), Florida's seventh-largest school district, is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP 26113-RFP-DST) to procure a modern, scalable textbook and instructional materials management system to replace the expiring Follett Destiny platform. The system must support 236 independent school sites managing approximately 1.7 million instructional materials and textbooks across the district, with core capabilities including check-in/check-out functionality, loss and damage tracking, FERPA compliance, and secure data hosting. The proposed solution must integrate with district systems including the FOCUS student information system, INFOR staff system, and ClassLink single sign-on, and vendors must provide migration services from Follett Destiny and demonstrate proven experience serving large K-12 districts with 100 or more school sites. Minimum qualifications require three years of industry experience, proof of authorization to do business in Florida, E-Verify compliance, three business references, and proof of field-proven, off-the-shelf software currently operational in K-12 environments. Vendors must maintain general liability insurance of $1,000,000 general aggregate and workers' compensation per Florida statute, along with compliance to federal, state, and local regulations including FERPA, HIPAA, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The evaluation process allocates 100 points across three phases: specifications and scope (25 points), qualifications and experience (30 points), and cost/value (35 points), with up to 10 bonus points available for Small Business Enterprise Program (SBEP) participation. Technical questions were due Friday, March 27, 2026, at 5:00 PM ET, with proposals due Friday, April 10, 2026, at 5:00 PM ET via the HCPS VendorLink portal; vendor selection for final negotiations is anticipated in late spring 2026, with contract award expected in late summer to early fall 2026 and implementation commencing in summer 2027.

The procurement includes a Small Business Encouragement Program (SBEP) set-aside requirement governed by School Board policy 6320.02, which is a gender and race-neutral program designed to promote certified small local businesses within the Tampa Bay area as defined by the Tampa Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area. SBEP registration is voluntary but recommended, as vendors registered with the program receive evaluation points; bidders must submit a SBEP registration certificate from the Office of Supplier Development and execute a SBEP Letter of Intent specifying the percentage of total bid value allocated to SBEP subcontractors, with a minimum reinvestment goal of 20 percent of the district's net eligible expenditures. All respondents must submit required forms including the Vendor Registration Form, Contracting with Entities of Foreign Countries of Concern Prohibited Affidavit, and acknowledge receipt of Addendum 1 with their proposal; the affidavit confirms vendors are not owned by or controlled by foreign countries of concern including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, or Syria. Pricing must be firm for no less than three years with any subsequent increases requiring documentation of cost justification, and vendors must submit a 10-year cost of ownership spreadsheet along with a detailed statement of work outlining implementation timelines and deliverables. The initial contract term begins July 1, 2027, with automatic yearly renewals contingent on board appropriation, continued need, and contractor performance; HCPS has not disclosed an estimated budget amount, though pricing evaluation represents 35 points of the scoring rubric and the contract may be awarded to one or more vendors at the district's discretion.