RFP-728-2600000364-1 | Kentucky Spinal Cord and Head Injury Research Board C6645

The Kentucky Spinal Cord and Head Injury Research Board is soliciting personal services under RFP-728-2600000364-1 for a contract term running from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028, with potential for two additional two-year renewals contingent upon approval by the Secretary of Finance and Administration and the Legislative Research Commission. The solicitation seeks a qualified individual or entity to provide Director of Research services, with evaluation based on a weighted trade-off method prioritizing cost at 400 points, followed by a discretionary oral presentation worth up to 200 points, and a mandatory technical proposal that serves as a non-negotiable pass/fail threshold requiring at least five years of experience as an NIH-funded investigator, five years as an NIH Study Section member, and one year of current grant review or administration work. Proposals must be submitted electronically through the Kentucky Vendor Self Service portal no later than May 27, 2026, at 2:00 PM Eastern Time, in three distinct, single-file components—Technical Proposal, Cost Proposal, and Proprietary Information—each not exceeding 65 MB and formatted in Word, Excel, or PDF. All offerors must provide a Federal Employer Identification Number, certify they are not debarred or suspended, and, if applicable, submit a notarized affidavit to qualify as a resident or qualified bidder under Kentucky law. The contract requires strict compliance with federal regulations including 2 CFR Part 200, 45 CFR 46, and 42 CFR Part 93, as well as Kentucky statutes such as 920 KAR 1:060 and the Kentucky Civil Rights Act. The Contractor must maintain full liability insurance naming CHFS as an additional insured, submit invoices using the Legislative Research Commission’s prescribed form, and provide CHFS unfettered access to all records. Subcontractors require prior written approval, and any new subcontractor must have qualifications documented and vetted. All deliverables and intellectual property developed under the contract are subject to a royalty-free, non-exclusive, irrevocable license granted to the Commonwealth. Personnel engaged under the contract are explicitly not considered employees of the state. Performance is expected within Kentucky, though no specific location is designated, and non-performance may lead to penalties up to five percent of the contract value.