REQUEST FOR INFORMATION: Education to Workforce Marketplace (E2WM)

The Massachusetts Department of Higher Education is issuing a Request for Information on an Education to Workforce Marketplace (E2WM) with written questions due September 21, 2026, and responses due September 30, 2026 at 5 p.m. ET. This RFI does not obligate DHE to issue a formal solicitation and does not confer advantage or disadvantage in subsequent procurement processes.

DHE seeks vendor input on designing a statewide marketplace to support stopped-out students with some college credit but no credential (SCNC). The scope includes reengagement models, integrated student-support ecosystems, student-facing technology platforms, data-driven outreach methodologies, coaching and persistence-support models, institutional partnership structures, longitudinal analytics, and workforce-alignment strategies. Responses must address organizational experience and capacity, technology-platform specifications, data analytics and outreach capabilities, coaching and student support services, institutional partnerships, budget and pricing structures, training and support services, and accessibility and compliance measures.

Respondents should demonstrate ability to operate across Massachusetts's 15 community colleges, nine state universities, and five University of Massachusetts campuses. DHE emphasizes bundled service models providing seamless coordination for both students and institutions and solutions scalable to serve stopped-out adult learners.

The Commonwealth estimates an approximate annual budget of $2 million for a statewide initiative. Vendors must provide general pricing information including per-student costs, subscription models, licensing costs, and service fees, along with examples of institutional and student volume reasonably supportable under this budget constraint.

No informational sessions or bidder conferences are planned. Responses must be submitted exclusively through COMMBUYS. All responses will be treated as public record under Massachusetts General Law. Costs incurred by respondents in preparing responses are the sole responsibility of the vendor.