Learning and Employment Records Digital Wallet

The Commonwealth of Kentucky, through the Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS) within the Education and Labor Cabinet, is soliciting competitive proposals for the planning, design, development, and pilot implementation of a Learning and Employment Records Digital Wallet system. This Request for Proposal (RFP 758 2300000411) seeks a mobile-based digital wallet solution that serves as a secure, verified repository for storing and sharing learning and employment credentials, connecting credential issuers such as universities and training providers with employers and workforce development agencies. The vendor must identify and facilitate appropriate stakeholders from business, education, state and local agencies, and workforce development boards; design and develop open-source, non-proprietary technical infrastructure with data and process interoperability; conduct a proof-of-concept pilot including at least two awarders, 20 learner/earners, and one relevant employer; and deliver an After-Action Report with recommendations for next steps. The solution must support credential issuance, verification, and revocation capabilities, with the vendor responsible for integrating with credential issuer applications during the pilot phase and providing comprehensive technical support for stakeholders and learners. Proposals were due July 28, 2023, at 3:30 PM ET, with written vendor questions having been due by July 5, 2023, and Commonwealth responses provided by July 12, 2023. The initial contract term is one year from the effective award date, with four optional one-year renewal periods available upon mutual agreement. Evaluation will comprise a maximum of 2,300 points: 1,000 for the technical proposal, 1,000 for the cost proposal, and up to 300 for oral demonstrations if required, with proposals scoring below 50 percent of maximum technical points excluded from further consideration.

The Commonwealth has established specific compliance requirements and restrictions for responding vendors, including mandatory affidavits addressing campaign finance law compliance, resident bidder status eligibility, and qualified bidder status under Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 163 for nonprofit corporations or qualified nonprofit agencies employing individuals with severe disabilities. Vendors must comply with Commonwealth Office of Technology requirements, including hosting on AWS or Azure government cloud platforms or FedRAMP-certified commercial alternatives, adherence to Kentucky Information Technology Standards, and annual compliance with SOC 2 Type 2 or equivalent certifications and NIST 800-53 moderate-level security controls. All Commonwealth data must be retained by the state within the contiguous United States, encrypted in transit and at rest for sensitive classifications, with vendors prohibited from profiting from or sharing such data. The Commonwealth does not disclose its anticipated budget; however, the cost proposal form requests detailed pricing across software licensing, configuration and implementation, annual hosting, maintenance and support, and training costs for the initial one-year contract term and four renewal options. Price increases are prohibited during the first twelve months and thereafter require written justification based on industry-wide changes at least thirty days prior to the effective date. The anticipated user base is substantial, with approximately 200,000 employers and 2.7 million citizens between ages 18 and 65 in Kentucky, and the Commonwealth leverages existing cloud hosting contracts with AWS or Azure and existing identity management systems for state employees that may be utilized for project implementation.