Single Source Provider for Brightly Software proprietary software applications

The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB) is pursuing a single source procurement for proprietary software applications from Brightly Software, located in Cary, North Carolina. The specific procurement involves subscription-based services for Technology Essentials - Insight and Technology Essentials Help Desk applications, which are essential for enterprise asset management operations. This procurement is being conducted in St. Johns County, Florida, for fiscal year 2025-2026, with an estimated not-to-exceed budget of $3,100.00. The solicitation was posted on October 31, 2025, with a response deadline of November 24, 2025, providing a fifteen-business day notice period for potential vendors to challenge the single source designation. Brightly Software is the intended sole source provider, with the justification centered on the company's unique proprietary software, specific performance features, and the requirement that only Brightly-certified companies can deliver and support these applications.

This procurement appears to be a direct, non-competitive solicitation restricted solely to Brightly Software, with no apparent set-aside designations or opportunities for alternative vendors. The agency reserves the right to determine whether to proceed with the procurement based on responses received during the advertising period and may conduct a competitive procurement at its discretion. The notice is published pursuant to Florida Statutes 287.057(3) and Rule 60A-1.045, F.A.C., which mandates public advertisement of intended single source procurements. Questions regarding the procurement should be directed to Kim Whitwam, Director of Purchasing, at whitwamk@fsdbk12.org. Brightly Software's assertion is that no other company in North America builds identical products, which further supports their sole source status. The procurement includes software applications that efficiently function and communicate with other enterprise management systems, suggesting potential integration requirements with existing technological infrastructure.