Montana Access to Quality Childcare System MAQCS Rebid

The State of Montana, through the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), is seeking a contractor to design and implement the Montana Access to Quality Childcare System (MAQCS), a comprehensive database supporting child care licensing functions for providers and facilities, subsidy management, and contracting activities. The procurement, identified as DPHHS-RFP-2024-0497KH, requires a vendor to develop a sophisticated technological solution that encompasses database design, cloud services, software development, and data management for the state's child care administrative ecosystem. Key deliverables include developing a system with 249 data tables, supporting 994,145 financial transactions, managing 232,767 person records, and handling complex interactions between care providers, financial transactions, licensing, and program eligibility. The Request for Proposal (RFP) was released on September 5, 2024, with proposals due by February 15, 2024, at 2:00 PM MST, and requires vendors to complete detailed attachments including a technology matrix, resource allocation schedules, and baseline technical requirements. Evaluation criteria emphasize comprehensive technical capabilities, with potential bonus points awarded for compliance with the Equal Pay for Montana Women executive order and adherence to specific certification requirements.

The procurement appears open to various organizations, with no explicit set-aside designations mentioned in the documentation. Vendors must meet specific qualifications, including senior-level staff with either a four-year degree and five years of experience or seven years of experience without a degree, and demonstrate capabilities across multiple technical domains including data conversion, security, interface integration, and system operations. The project will be awarded as a firm fixed price on a lump sum basis, with a total project budget not to exceed $10,000,000, covering a six-year period from June 1, 2024, to May 31, 2030. The system must integrate with existing state enterprise systems, support multiple authentication mechanisms, and comply with federal standards including NIST 800-53 and HIPAA. The current system, known as Child Care Under the Big Sky (CCUBS), serves as the baseline infrastructure, with the new procurement seeking to enhance and replace the existing technological platform. Vendors will be expected to provide comprehensive documentation, including project management deliverables, system design documents, and user guides, while maintaining high-quality standards and supporting the state's child care administrative functions.