Intent to award sole source- scthrive

The South Carolina Department of Corrections' Purchasing Branch is issuing an intent to award a sole source contract to SC Thrive for training and access to The Benefit Bank of South Carolina (TBB-SC). The procurement specifically focuses on enabling counselors to electronically submit applications for various resources on behalf of individuals and households being served. SC Thrive is the exclusive state affiliate licensed by Solutions for Progress of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to operate this platform, which provides comprehensive resource application submission capabilities. The solicitation requires vendors to submit sealed responses by July 14, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. to the SC Department of Corrections' Purchasing Branch located at 4420 Broad River Road, Columbia, SC 29210. Potential vendors have five business days to submit a notice of intent to protest and fifteen days to submit an actual protest if they believe they can perform the required services. The procurement notice will be posted in the South Carolina Business Opportunities (SCBO) for a minimum of ten business days as mandated by SC Code 11-35-1560. Sealed offers may be submitted via mail or email to purchasing@doc.sc.gov with "SOLE SOURCE" in the subject line.

The sole source procurement does not explicitly mention specific set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises. The contract appears to be focused exclusively on SC Thrive as the sole provider of The Benefit Bank platform, with Solutions for Progress providing necessary maintenance and support. No specific award value or budget range is indicated in the procurement documentation. The procurement requires any challenging vendor to submit documentation demonstrating authorization to perform all aspects of the required content. The contract seems to be designed to maintain the existing technological infrastructure of The Benefit Bank platform, with SC Thrive serving as the exclusive state-level operator. Vendors seeking to challenge the sole source award must provide comprehensive evidence of their capability to replicate the full range of services currently provided by SC Thrive and Solutions for Progress. The procurement process allows for potential vendor challenges while maintaining the current operational framework of the resource application submission system.