Project Overview Minnesota State is requesting proposals from qualified vendors to provide an online Safety Data Sheet (SDS) management system that ensures compliant, efficient, and user-friendly access to SDS for all employees and students, in alignment with OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200). Minnesota State strongly prefers a commercially available, fully developed, and operational solution that has been successfully implemented in higher education institutions and/or corporate environments. To minimize internal resource use, Minnesota State prefers systems that are cloud-based or externally hosted and require minimal or no support from institutional IT staff. Proposals for custom-developed or beta-phase platforms will not be considered at this time. Responding vendors should be aware that the contract resulting from this RFP will be available for use by all of Minnesota State institutions, including the system office on non-exclusive basis. Technical/Functional Requirements The proposed solution must: Access and Compliance Provide real-time, 24/7 access to SDS for all system employees and students. Fully comply with OSHA regulations for SDS accessibility and management. Be accessible through all major browsers and mobile devices. System Structure Support a multi-tenant architecture, enabling each college, university, or campus to: Maintain a separate SDS repository under a unified Minnesota State system account. Search, view, and manage SDS by institution-specific parameters. Independently manage their SDS content, including: Uploading/removing SDS files. Organizing or categorizing SDS. Assigning institution-specific user roles and permissions. User Access & Permissions Support role-based access controls (e.g., Administrator, Editor, Viewer) for different user types (e.g., students, EHS personnel, faculty). Provide secure user authentication, with the ability to integrate with SSO (if feasible but not required). Security and Data Protection Comply with state cybersecurity and data privacy standards (e.g., FERPA where applicable). Include safeguards for protecting institutional data and access logs. Offer audit trails and activity tracking per user account. Mobile and Offline Functionality Support mobile-responsive design or provide dedicated apps. Allow for offline access or downloadable SDSs for emergency response and remote locations. Scalability and Reliability Be capable of supporting all Minnesota State institutions without performance degradation. Include a 99.9% uptime guarantee and clear service level agreements (SLAs). Offer redundancy, backup, and disaster recovery protocols. Training and Support Provide implementation support, onboarding sessions, and user training (live or recorded). Include administrator guides, training materials, and best practices documentation. Offer ongoing technical support (phone, email, and/or ticket-based). Identify any costs associated with training or support tiers. System Implementation and Transition Provide a detailed implementation timeline including setup, configuration, data import (if needed), and go-live support. Describe tools and resources available to support migration from existing SDS systems (if applicable). Budget The budget for this contract is anticipated to be $30,000 to $40,000 per year of the contract. This budget includes 50 seat admin accounts and software platform. Selection Process The selection process includes the System Manager for Public Safety& Compliance, System Environmental Specialist and Institution Safety Administrator(s). This group will evaluate the proposals and make the final decision. Evaluation Factors The following factors and their identified weight will be used to evaluate the responses: Topic Factor Weight Adherence to Minnesota State Terms and Conditions. A statement of the objectives, goals, and tasks to show or demonstrate its view and understanding of the nature of the contract 5 Work Plan. A description of the deliverables to be provided by the Responder along with a detailed work plan that identifies the major tasks to be accomplished and be used as a scheduling and managing tool, as well as the basis for invoicing. Compliance with technical requirements Ease of use and user interface Implementation plan and timeline Support, training, and documentation 30 Cost/Value. Identify the level of the participation of Minnesota State in the contract, as well as any other services to be provided by Minnesota State, and details of cost allowances for this participation. Total cost of ownership 30 Qualifications of Respondent and its personnel. An outline of the Responder’s background and experience with examples of similar work complete by the Responder and a list of personnel who will conduct the project, detailing their training, and work experience. Resumes or other information about project personnel should not, if possible, contain personal telephone numbers, home addresses or home email addresses. If it is necessary to include personal contact information, please clearly indicate in the proposal that personal contact information is being provided. 10 Security and Compliance Vendors must ensure the proposed system meets applicable state cybersecurity and data privacy standards and is fully compliant with OSHA regulations for SDS access. The system should include data encryption, secure user authentication, and role-based access controls. Where applicable, compliance with FERPA must be addressed. Vendors should describe audit capabilities, data protection measures, and safeguards for institutional and user information 10 Completeness, thoroughness and detail of the response Completeness, thoroughness and detail of the response as reflected by the proposal's discussions and coverage of all elements of work listed above 5 Accessibility A completed response to the linked Voluntary Product/Service Accessibility Template(s)®(VPAT) for all software, hardware, and websites as applicable (guidance available in the ‘Products’ tab). The response must contain adequate information to evaluate the responsiveness to the accessibility standards (e.g., a completed VPAT or equivalent). 10 Total: 100 Minnesota State reserves the right to name a date which all responding Respondents will be invited to present demonstrations or participate in an interview. Minnesota State does not agree to reach a decision by any certain date although it is hoped the evaluation and selection will be completed by the contract terms date identified. Contract Terms Minnesota State desires to enter into a contract with the successful Respondent(s) effective January 1, 2026 or on the date the last recognized signature is obtained, whichever occurs later. The length of such contract(s) will be three years. If Minnesota State and Respondent are unable to negotiate and sign a contract by November 15, 2025, then Minnesota State reserves the right to seek an alternative Respondent(s). Inquiries and Submission Instructions Minnesota State accepts all questions and bid submissions exclusively through Minnesota State's e-procurement system. Hard copy submissions, emails, or submissions through any other medium will not be considered. Each Respondent is solely responsible for the timely delivery of its questions and bids by the RFx date and time deadlines. Failure to meet the deadlines shall be grounds for rejection.
