PBS North Carolina Call Center

PBS North Carolina is seeking a qualified external call center agency to provide call agent staffing services under a definite quantity contract, with an initial one-year term beginning on the effective date and the possibility of two additional two-year extensions at the State’s sole discretion. The contract requires 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM ET Monday through Friday staffing, with an optional 24-hour capability for a dedicated pledge line. Vendors must demonstrate proficiency in Blackbaud’s Raisers Edge NXT, Luminate Online, and MVault systems, maintain a dedicated account representative who meets with PBS NC Development management twice monthly, and provide weekly reporting on calls answered, missed, response rates per agent, and tickets resolved. All services must comply with PCI DSS v4.0, including annual submission of an Attestation of Compliance for Service Providers, and the vendor must implement technical safeguards such as payment card data masking, pause-resume recording, and no-storage protocols to prevent unauthorized retention of sensitive information. The vendor is required to maintain a documented PCI DSS shared responsibility matrix, ensure subcontractors meet identical security obligations, and notify PBS NC within 24 hours of any suspected or actual data breach involving donor or payment card information. Offerors must submit complete responses via the State’s electronic Vendor Portal by the June 25, 2026 deadline, adhering to strict formatting requirements including an execution page, table of contents, page numbering, and inclusion of all attachments such as cost forms, vendor certifications, financial reviews, and location disclosures. Proposals must demonstrate North Carolina-based staffing preference, relevant experience with public media entities, and proven security and compliance practices. Evaluation will be based on a trade-off method considering cost efficiency, services offered, team metrics, security and PCI DSS compliance, experience, quality of references, regulatory adherence to state IT laws, and responsiveness to technical requirements, with failure to meet any pass/fail gate—such as responsiveness, eligibility, technical capability, or BAFO submission—resulting in disqualification. Payment is contingent upon acceptance of deliverables, on a Net 30-day schedule following receipt of a correct invoice with completed timesheets. All shipping must be FOB Destination, with freight, handling, and installation charges embedded in item pricing, and the vendor must maintain comprehensive insurance covering cyber liability, technology errors and omissions, and privacy incidents. The vendor must be registered with the North Carolina Secretary of State, comply with E-Verify, be in sound financial condition with no outstanding tax