Soliciting sealed bids from qualified Bidders to provide HR Research and Advisory Services. Human Research and Advisory membership is being sought to furnish the Human Resources (HR) department with essential research, diagnostics, and expert advisory sup

The Mississippi State Department of Health is seeking sealed bids to procure Human Resources Research and Advisory Services through an Invitation for Bids (IFB) with solicitation number 1301-26-R-IFBD-00067-V02, issued on May 29, 2026, and with a submission deadline of June 29, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. CST. The solicitation requires responsive bidders to submit proposals electronically through the MSDH OpenGov Procurement Portal using the provided bid form; failure to comply results in automatic rejection. Bidders must hold a valid ten-digit MAGIC Vendor Number starting with 310 and provide full contact information for their authorized representative. All bids must affirm that the bidder is not debarred or suspended, has not engaged in fraud or antitrust violations in the past five years, and has independently determined pricing without collusion. The contract is governed by Mississippi state law and requires strict adherence to federal, state, and local regulations, including HIPAA compliance, as the contractor will serve as a Business Associate handling Protected Health Information, necessitating a mutually executed Business Associate Agreement. The contractor must maintain professional and general liability insurance, prohibit discrimination based on race, color, creed, sex, age, national origin, disability, or genetic information, and may not assign or subcontract any portion of the work without prior written consent from MSDH. The scope of services includes six HR membership seats—one Executive Counselor, one Advisory, and four Team seats—along with access to unlimited advisory support, web-based research and diagnostic tools, two full-day annual strategy sessions, one HR Executive Peer Forum, and two Signature or Elevate HR Tickets. Services are to be delivered between August 6, 2026, and June 30, 2028, with potential one-year renewals up to a maximum five-year term subject to Public Procurement Review Board approval. Award will be made solely to the lowest-priced responsive and responsible bidder, with price being the only weighted evaluation factor after pass/fail gates for responsiveness and responsibility are met. Invoicing must be submitted monthly with sufficient documentation and finalized no later than twenty days before contract expiration; payments are processed electronically through the state’s accounting system in U.S. currency, with the agency exempt from Mississippi state taxes. The contract is publicly posted on transparency.ms.gov, excluding trade secrets protected under Mississippi Code Annotated § 25-61-9