IT Research Services – Statewide Cooperative Contract Participation

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is preparing to transition from its current statewide contract for IT Research Services (ITS80) to a new contract (ITS83) established under the NASPO ValuePoint cooperative purchasing program. This transition will occur through a Participating Addendum that allows Massachusetts to adopt the NASPO ValuePoint Master Agreement, led by the State of North Carolina. The primary solicitation for this procurement is identified as DPC-1428523190-SA and covers comprehensive IT research, advisory, and consulting services aimed at supporting Massachusetts state agencies with procurement assistance, IT project planning, and access to specialized research and technical guidance. The estimated contract value for this engagement falls between $5 million and $15 million. The current ITS80 contract expires on January 18, 2026, after which Massachusetts expects to fully implement the ITS83 contract via NASPO ValuePoint. Interested vendors were required to submit proposals by April 24, 2025, through North Carolina’s electronic procurement portal, with Massachusetts serving as a participating state in this cooperative contract. The contract documentation emphasizes that all terms, conditions, and clauses governing Massachusetts’s participation will be those incorporated by reference from the NASPO ValuePoint Master Agreement and the associated RFP, without Massachusetts-specific clauses or FAR provisions explicitly enumerated in their notice. The procurement does not specify packaging, marking, inspection, acceptance criteria, or special security or key personnel requirements in the available documentation. Likewise, no detailed evaluation criteria, line-item pricing, or administrative payment instructions are provided, directing vendors instead to consult the full NASPO ValuePoint RFP and Master Agreement hosted on the North Carolina Procurement Portal for those details. Administrative points of contact include the Massachusetts Operational Services Division’s Category Management team and a designated North Carolina procurement official to assist with solicitation questions. The structure of the contract is typical of cooperative agreements, expecting a Participating Addendum to govern Massachusetts’s use of the agreed-upon terms, with all additional supporting materials, addenda, and administrative details maintained centrally within the NASPO ValuePoint framework.