MPA 581 OE Curricula, High-Quality and Professional Learning

The State of Rhode Island Division of Purchases is seeking qualified vendors to establish a Master Price Agreement (MPA 581) for high-quality curricula and professional learning services, primarily targeting local education agencies across the state. This open enrollment solicitation allows vendors to submit proposals at any time until twelve months before the contract's end date of November 30, 2023, with an initial contract period beginning approximately December 1, 2020. The MPA will cover statewide applicability, enabling participation from municipalities, higher education institutions, schools, and quasi-public agencies. Vendors must provide comprehensive curricula and professional learning resources that can be utilized by various educational entities on an as-needed basis. Evaluation criteria will focus on technical merit, vendor expertise, pricing, and the ability to deliver high-quality educational materials and professional development services. Proposals must be submitted electronically through the Ocean State Procures system, and vendors are required to provide a bid surety bond or certified check for 5% of their proposed cost. Vendors will be selected based on their technical qualifications, with pricing evaluated separately when specific agency project scopes are issued.

The solicitation includes specific requirements for minority, women, and veteran-owned business enterprises, mandating a minimum 10% participation in the total contract value. Certified Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Women Business Enterprises (WBEs), and Veteran Business Enterprises (VBEs) are strongly encouraged to participate, with the state requiring documentation of their involvement through an MBE Participation Acknowledgment Form. Vendors must maintain liability insurance coverage of $1,000,000 per occurrence and comply with the state's affirmative action and non-discrimination requirements. A 1% contract administrative fee will be assessed on all purchase orders issued under the MPA, which supports the state's eProcurement system. While no specific award value or budget range is explicitly stated, the open-ended nature of the solicitation suggests flexibility in contract sizing and potential for multiple vendor awards. The state reserves the right to make single or multiple awards, cancel the solicitation, or remove vendors from the qualified list at its discretion. Political subdivisions will have the ability to directly place orders with selected vendors, creating a flexible procurement mechanism for educational resources and professional learning services.