MSDE Multi-Tiered Support Decision Process for Tiers 2 and 3

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) is requesting quotations for call center services supporting applications within the Department of Education and Community Development (DEC) for a one-year term, with proposals due October 2, 2026 under RFQ MTSS Tiered Decision Process.

The procurement addresses a Multi-Tiered Support Decision Process for Tiers 2 and 3, focusing on call center operations to handle application-related inquiries and assistance. The scope encompasses comprehensive IT infrastructure support—hardware, software, telecommunications, and technical support—necessary to maintain call center operations and ensure service continuity for end users. Vendors must meet mandatory accessibility compliance standards including WCAG 2.1 Level AA, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Maryland Education Article 7-910. All products, services, documents, and digital tools must be fully accessible to individuals with disabilities without requiring additional State modification. Contractors must describe their accessibility compliance approach in technical proposals and conduct annual accessibility compliance audits using the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) within 120 days of contract start and annually thereafter. Non-compliance remediation is due within thirty days of discovery at no additional cost to the State. The contractor's indemnification obligations for accessibility failures are unlimited and are not subject to liability caps.

Evaluation criteria include vendor experience with state education systems, technical capabilities, capacity to handle call volumes, response time standards, and quality assurance protocols. The RFQ establishes a competitive scoring methodology across the tiered system. Specific contract value, pricing structures, and incumbent information are contained within the complete RFQ documentation.