Educator Licensure System SaaS Solution for Modernized, Cloud-Based Application and Workflow Management

The contract pertains to a comprehensive, cloud-based SaaS solution designed to modernize North Carolina’s educator licensure system, with a target go-live date of April 30, 2027. The project involves procuring a vendor-managed application that enables real-time licensing functions, including online application submissions, fee collection, license issuance, renewal, revocation, and data analytics through dashboards. The system must support self-service features for educators and administrative interfaces for NCDPI staff to streamline complex workflows, improve efficiency, and ensure compliance with state security and enterprise standards. The contract’s estimated value ranges from five to fifteen million dollars over an initial three-year term, with potential extensions, and emphasizes adherence to North Carolina statutes, DIT security policies, and NIST 800-53 controls. The procurement process follows a best-value trade-off approach, evaluating offers based on conformance to specifications, comparison with other proposals, cost, and risk assessment, without explicit weights or federal FAR clauses. The contractual framework is governed primarily by North Carolina statutes, DIT policies, and specific terms outlined in the RFP, including confidentiality, security, personnel qualifications, and quality assurance. The contract emphasizes compliance with security standards, including background checks, personnel vetting, and restrictions on resource location outside the U.S., while also requiring detailed project management, implementation plans, and performance metrics. Deliverables are inspected and accepted at the destination, with the State responsible for testing and approval, and the vendor accountable for correcting non-conforming work. Vendors must submit proposals via the Ariba platform, including detailed cost proposals in Attachment D, and provide certifications on HUB participation, E-Verify compliance, and organizational disclosures. Overall, the contract establishes a structured, security-conscious, and performance-driven framework aimed at delivering a modern, scalable licensure system aligned with state requirements and technological standards.