Nebraska Literacy Project

The Nebraska Department of Education, Office of Teaching, Learning, and Assessment is issuing a Request for Proposal to establish a vendor pool under a Master Agreement for a comprehensive multi-year literacy training system designed to support education leaders across Nebraska. The procurement seeks qualified vendors to design and implement a statewide training sequence grounded in the science of reading, serving up to 1,800 education leaders including building principals, superintendents, and district and higher education leaders through a hybrid cohort model incorporating virtual, in-person, and leadership coaching components. Key deliverables include alignment with the Nebraska Literacy Project and the NDE's Comprehensive Literacy State Development grant, with vendors required to demonstrate experience with statewide contracts, evidence-based professional learning programs grounded in the science of reading, and the ability to deliver work plans within 15 business days of contract execution. The procurement timeline includes written questions due March 4, 2026, with responses posted March 11, 2026, and electronic opening scheduled for March 18, 2026 at 2:00 PM Central Time. Evaluation will occur March 23-27, 2026, with optional vendor demonstrations April 6-13, 2026, an Intent to Award posted May 11, 2026, contract finalization May 11-22, 2026, and official award on May 29, 2026, with vendor start date June 1, 2026 and the first cohort commencing July 1, 2026. Evaluation criteria include corporate overview, technical response, and cost sheet components, with the NDE retaining the right to conduct reference and credit checks. The contract term is one year with options to renew for four additional one-year periods, up to a maximum of five years, with fixed pricing for the first year and subsequent price increases not to exceed five percent, submitted at least 60 days prior to contract period end.

All bidders must be registered with the Nebraska Secretary of State and comply with state registration requirements to be eligible for consideration. Vendors are required to maintain specified insurance coverage including workers' compensation, commercial general liability, and commercial automobile liability with minimum limits, and must provide evidence of coverage prior to commencing work. The RFP does not appear to include specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions limiting the types of organizations that can respond. The NDE reserves the right to establish a non-exclusive vendor pool for potential future contracts up to eighteen months from the Intent to Award date and may contract for similar services from other sources, meaning multiple vendors may be selected. The contract includes a funding-out clause allowing the NDE to terminate or reduce consideration if legislative appropriations become unavailable. No specific budget range or award value is listed in the available documentation, and no incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified; pricing information will be submitted by vendors using the mandatory NDE Vendor Cost Sheet as a separate proposal attachment.