UCO-1019 Virtual Bookstore Operations

The City University of New York is requesting proposals for virtual bookstore operations serving its 26 constituent institutions (11 senior colleges, 7 community colleges, Macaulay Honors College, and 7 graduate and professional schools) under RFP UCO-1019, with proposals due September 10, 2026 at 3:00 PM EST. A 30 percent Minority and Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) contracting goal applies to the total contract value.

Proposers must meet mandatory minimum qualifications: at least three years of experience providing virtual bookstore operations to large, multi-site educational institutions comparable to CUNY; verifiable operating history of at least five years with three or more higher education clients; demonstrated financial viability; and capacity to support approximately 270,000 users with a minimum of 15,000 concurrent users. The platform must comply with PCI DSS, FACTA, ADA, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards, with demonstrated experience processing agency-based vouchers and financial assistance programs.

The scope encompasses sales and distribution of textbooks, course materials, digital content, and general merchandise through an accessible, user-friendly online platform, with integration into CUNY institutional systems and support for students, faculty, and campus administrators.

Pricing follows a commission-based model with a one-time signing bonus, guaranteed annual commissions, and percentage-based commissions on course materials (estimated $10,000,000 annually) and general merchandise sales (estimated $1,000,000 annually), plus marketing expenditures per contract term. The contract term is five years with two optional renewals: three years and two years, contingent on satisfactory performance.

The evaluation allocates 55 points to the technical and management proposal (not exceeding 50 pages), 30 points to pricing (lowest price receives maximum points), 5 points to diversity practices, and up to 10 points to oral presentations and product demonstrations. Short-listed proposers (top three plus any within ten points of the highest score) are invited for oral presentations.

Written questions were due in two rounds: August 24 and August 28, 2026. Responses to Round 1 and Round 2 questions were anticipated to be posted the week of August 31, 2026 via addenda and the New York State Contract Reporter. All proposals must include Addendum No. 1 (August 27, 2026) and Addendum No. 2 properly signed; submissions without all required addenda are subject to rejection. Contact: Deborah Tavera, deborah.tavera@cuny.edu.