PennDOT Mainframe Services

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is requesting proposals for IBM-compatible mainframe services including hosting, management, infrastructure support, disaster recovery, and security compliance for approximately 100 applications under RFP 3525R03, with proposals due July 20, 2026 at 11:00 AM EDT and a pre-proposal conference scheduled virtually via Microsoft Teams on June 22, 2026 at 1:00 PM EDT. The Commonwealth has established participation goals of 26% for Small Diverse Business (SDB) enterprises and 3% for Veteran Business Enterprise (VBE), with proposals requiring either full compliance or approved good faith efforts waivers; failure to meet these requirements will result in proposal rejection. PennDOT's Act 89 Diverse Business Participation Program applies, requiring prime contractors to solicit certified diverse businesses for portions of work and document all good faith efforts.

The scope encompasses managed mainframe operations, production control and scheduling, database management, storage and backup services, middleware administration, IBM MQ physical support, and managed server services for critical systems including Vehicle Registration and Driver Licensing. Services must be delivered from onshore locations only with no offshore resource utilization or data transmission outside the contiguous Continental United States. The service provider must operate 24/7/365 and maintain specific service levels ranging from 97% to 99.99% availability across critical and key service categories. Key personnel requirements include an Account Director, Financial Director, Security Director, Transition Director, and Service Delivery Director. All service provider personnel must pass PennDOT-mandated security background checks, comply with IRS Publication 1075 and NIST standards, and maintain SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, or StateRAMP/FedRAMP certifications.

The contract spans five years commencing on an effective date to be determined, with anticipated service continuation through June 30, 2028, and options to renew for up to five additional one-year terms plus up to three months extension at the Commonwealth's discretion. Pricing is consumption-based with resource unit charges for steady-state services, deliverable charges, rate card charges for non-recurring services, and pass-through expenses. The contract prohibits fixed or monthly minimum fees; PennDOT pays only for services actually consumed. Successful application rehosting to the new mainframe platform must be completed before February 2028. Technical proposals are weighted at 65% of evaluation points and cost proposals at 35%, with up to 3% bonus points available for domestic workforce utilization commitments. Offerors must demonstrate a three-year public sector mainframe service delivery track record without terminated-for-cause engagements, complete at least two similar major projects within six years as prime contractor valued at minimum $15 million annually, and provide at least three references for comparable services. The selected offeror must perform at least 50% of contract value and assume responsibility for all services, whether produced in-house or through subcontractors. The Issuing Officer is Rhonda Dolen (rdolen@pa.gov). Proposals must be electronically signed and submitted through JAGGAER by the deadline.