RFP 27-02 Cloud Based ERP SaaS Solution

Request for Proposal (RFP) for a Cloud-Based
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) SaaS Solution
RFP 27-02
Minneapolis Public Schools, Special School District No. 1
1250 West Broadway Ave.
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55411-2533
Issued: 9/10/2026
Notice: Pursuant to section 13.591 subdivision 3(b) of the Minnesota Statutes, after a
government entity has completed negotiating a contract with the selected vendor, all
data in RFP responses are public except for trade secret information as defined in
section 13.37 subdivision 1(b). A statement that submitted data are copyrighted or
otherwise protected does not prevent public access to the data.
1. Opportunity Overview
Minneapolis Public Schools, Special School District No. 1 ("MPS" or "the School District"), is
seeking proposals for a cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software-as-a-Service
(SaaS) platform supporting Finance, Human Resources, Payroll, Position Control, Time and
Attendance, Budgeting, Reporting, and Workflow Management. MPS will continue utilizing
Infinite Campus as its Student Information System (SIS).
The proposed ERP solution must be robust, secure, and recognized as an approved solution by
the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) for integration with MDE's UFARS data
reporting, and must maintain required cybersecurity, privacy, and insurance coverages.
Throughout this RFP, vendor refers to any organization that submits, or intends to submit, a
proposal in response to this solicitation.
About Minneapolis Public Schools
MPS is a school district that is coterminous with the City of Minneapolis, Minnesota. With
authority granted by the state legislature, the school board makes policy, selects the
superintendent, and oversees the school district's budget, curriculum, personnel, and facilities.

Students speak 90 different languages at home and most school communications are printed in
English, Hmong, Spanish, and Somali. MPS covers more than 70 school programs at 65 sites,
with approximately 29,900 students and 3,200 teaching staff.
Submission Process
Intention to Submit and Conflict of Interest Certification. Prospective vendors are
encouraged to submit Appendix 1 (a) Intention to Submit a Proposal, to RFX@mpls.k12.mn.us
by 9/17/2026. Failure to submit an Intention to Submit will not preclude a vendor from
submitting a proposal. Vendors are also requested to complete Appendix 1(b), Conflict of
Interest Certification, as part of the proposal process.
Questions. All questions about the RFP shall be submitted by email to RFX@mpls.k12.mn.us
by end of day 9/24/2026. MPS will provide written responses to questions from prospective
vendors no later than 10/1/2026. After receipt of all questions, a response addendum will be
emailed to all known participating vendors and posted to the MPS Procurement webpage. After
9/24/2026, no questions or inquiries will be allowed.
Unauthorized Contact. Any unauthorized contact with any other MPS official or employee in
connection with this RFP is prohibited and shall be cause for disqualification of the vendor.
Proposal Submission. Proposals will be received electronically until 10/22/2026 at 11:59pm
Central Time by emailing your proposal documents to RFX@mpls.k12.mn.us. Late proposals
shall not be accepted. No unsolicited corrected or resubmitted proposals will be accepted after
the proposal submission deadline.
Proposal Content Requirements
Submissions should include:
Submission Worksheet. Vendors shall submit their proposals upon the Submission
Worksheet included with the specifications. The MPS Board of Education reserves the right
to accept or reject any or all proposals or parts of such proposals and waive any formalities
or irregularities in the proposal process.
Proposal. Proposals should address all requirements and points of interest outlined in this
RFP document, including complete responses to the General Business Information
questions in Section 6.
Organization Information Cover Page (Appendix 2).

2. Process Timeline
Event/Milestone Date
Release of Documentation Sep 10, 2026
Requested Intention to Submit Sep 17, 2026
Deadline for vendor questions Sep 24, 2026
Responses to questions issued Oct 1, 2026
Proposal Deadline Oct 22, 2026
Finalists selected and notified Oct 29, 2026
Finalist presentations and product demonstrations Nov 9 - Dec 15, 2026
Review and School Board Recommendation Early Jan, 2027
Contract completion/award Jan, 2027
Implementation begins Following contract execution
3. Evaluation and Selection Criteria
MPS will evaluate each individual item and may choose to award any combination of items to
vendors who submit proposals. Contracts will be awarded after confirmation by MPS of the
vendor's ability to comply with all requirements called for in the general provisions and
specifications. MPS reserves the right to evaluate all proposals and determine whether the
School District's specifications and requirements are satisfied and to award contracts as MPS
determines to be in its best interest.
The RFP Evaluation Committee will include, at minimum, one member from at least two
departments. The Evaluation Committee shall first evaluate all proposals to determine which
meet the minimum service and product requirements, without regard to price. This evaluation
may, at the Evaluation Committee's discretion, be augmented by verbal or written requests for
clarification or additional information. The Evaluation Committee may contact references
supplied in vendor proposals, and findings from these inquiries will be included in the
assessment. Only proposals that meet the minimum requirements will be considered for further
evaluation and scoring against the rubric below.
Finalists will be invited to provide product demonstrations and, if required, respond to one or
more specific scenarios and/or provide a proof of concept. This is a mandatory meeting for the
finalists selected. Finalist demonstrations, scenarios, and/or proof-of-concept activities are

intended to validate and clarify information contained in the vendor's written proposal.
Demonstrations will not constitute a separate evaluation category or alter the published
evaluation criteria or weights. Evaluators may revise scores within the published evaluation
categories based on information confirmed, clarified, or demonstrated during the finalist
process.
Evaluation Point Description Weight (%)
Functional ERP Fit 20%
Data Ownership and Transparency 15%
Total Cost of Ownership 22%
Security and Compliance 18%
Support and Training 10%
Implementation Strategy and Plan 10%
Minnesota School District References 5%
4. Terms and Conditions
A. Eligibility and Compliance with Federal and State Law: Vendor must assure MPS that
they have complied with all applicable federal and state laws, regulations, and rules.
B. General Criteria for Award: After taking into consideration conformity with the
specifications, timelines, and other conditions imposed in the call for proposals, an award
shall be made to the vendor whose proposal best meets the requirements of the RFP.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this RFP, MPS reserves the right to award this
contract to the vendor(s) that best meet the requirements of the RFP, and not necessarily to
the lowest cost vendor. MPS may consider, at its sole discretion, any alternative proposal.
C. Form of Proposals: The proposal should be submitted on the form prescribed by MPS, a
sample of which is contained in these specifications.
D. Vendor Qualifications: MPS reserves the right to refuse to consider the proposal of a
vendor who is not known to be reliable, skilled, and regularly engaged in providing the
service and/or goods described in the request. In addition, MPS may require any vendor to
provide evidence satisfactory to MPS of the vendor's financial responsibility and ability to
efficiently, economically, and satisfactorily perform the services and/or deliver the goods
required by MPS.

E. Rejection of Proposal: In addition to grounds for rejection stated elsewhere in law or in
these specifications and conditions, MPS may reject a proposal if:
1. The vendor fails to provide evidence reasonably requested.
2. The vendor misstates or conceals any material fact in their proposal.
3. The proposal submitted is conditional.
4. The proposal contains a material omission or is materially incomplete.
F. Proposal Modifications and Clarifications: Proposals may be modified or corrected by the
vendor prior to the proposal submission deadline. After the proposal submission deadline,
vendors may not make unsolicited changes or corrections to their proposals. MPS may
request clarification of a proposal, provided that such clarification does not result in a
material change to the proposal.
G. Identical Low Proposals: In the case of identical low proposals from two or more vendors,
the Board may at its discretion utilize negotiated procurement methods with the tied low
vendors for that particular transaction, so long as the price paid does not exceed the
original proposal.
H. Single Proposal: In the case where only a single proposal is received, the Board may, at its
discretion, negotiate a mutually agreeable contract with the vendor so long as the price
paid does not exceed the original proposal.
I. Withdrawal, Effective Period, and Award Deadlines: A proposal may be withdrawn prior
to the submission deadline by means of a written request signed by the vendor or its
properly authorized representative and delivered to RFX@mpls.k12.mn.us. No vendor may
withdraw a proposal after the proposal deadline without the consent of the MPS Board of
Education. Proposals must state the period for which the proposal shall remain in effect.
Such period shall not be less than 120 days from the proposal date.
J. Award Options: MPS reserves the right to:
1. Award this contract in part or whole to a single vendor, or by service area, whichever
is deemed most advantageous to MPS.
2. Reject any or all proposals.
3. Award the contract based on the investigation of vendors, as well as acceptance of
alternates, all of which MPS deems to be in its best interest.
4. Waive informalities or minor irregularities in proposals and waive minor irregularities
or discrepancies in RFP procedure.
5. Render the sole decision in matters of interpretation of all terms and conditions.

6. Consider, in determining the successful vendor, the quality, suitability, and
adaptability of the item(s) to be purchased for the use for which it is intended, in
addition to the RFP process.
K. Collusion: Collusion is grounds for proposal rejection of all collusive vendors.
L. Title IX Compliance Notice and Non-Discrimination Policy: MPS strictly adheres to
Minnesota Statutes section 181.59, Discrimination on Account of Race, Creed, or Color
Prohibited in Contract, for the contracts it will enter into. During the performance of this
contract, the vendor agrees that it shall not unlawfully discriminate against any employee
or applicant for employment because of race, color, creed, religion, gender, national origin,
sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, or public assistance status. The vendor
will take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed and that employees are
treated equally during employment, without unlawful discrimination. Vendors shall also
comply with any applicable federal or state laws regarding nondiscrimination. The
following list includes, but is not meant to limit, laws that may be applicable:
Minnesota Statutes Chapter 363A
The Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967
The Equal Pay Act of 1963
The Job Training Partnership Act of 1982
M. Equal Opportunity: It is the policy of MPS, in compliance with current federal and state
statutes and regulations, and in recognition of its obligation to provide equal opportunity
for education and employment for all persons within its jurisdiction, not to discriminate on
the basis of sex, race, religion, color, national origin, economic status, disability, age, or
marital status in any of its educational programs or personnel practices. Title IX prohibits
school districts from conducting business with any contractor or vendor not complying
with Title IX requirements.
N. Requirements for Onsite Service Providers: Vendor employees and contractors who will
be providing services on MPS premises must have been subject to a state and federal
criminal background check and drug/chemical screening within the past 18 months. The
vendor shall conduct criminal background checks in accordance with state and federal law
and MPS policy for all paid and volunteer employees and agents who will have direct
contact with children under the resulting contract, including but not limited to Minn. Stat.
sections 299C.61 to 299C.64 and Minn. Stat. section 123B.03.

O. Insurance Requirements: Vendors may be required to provide proof of insurance as
requested by MPS. Coverage levels described below should be considered minimum
requirements.
Insurance Description Coverage Aggregate
Workers' Compensation State Statutory $500,000 n/a
Employer's Liability
Comprehensive General Liability Bodily Injury, Property $1,000,000 each $1,500,000
(including Premises-Operations, Damage, Combined occurrence aggregate
Independent Contractor's Protective, Single Limit
Products and Completed Operations,
Broad-Form Property Damage)
Blanket Contractual Liability Bodily Injury, Property $1,000,000 each $2,000,000
Damage, Combined occurrence aggregate
Single Limit
Blanket Contractual Liability Personal Injury, with $1,000,000 each $2,000,000
Employment Exclusion occurrence aggregate
Deleted
Comprehensive Automobile Liability Bodily Injury, Property $1,000,000 each $2,000,000
Damage, Combined occurrence aggregate
Single Limit
The successful vendor will also be required to meet the insurance requirements set forth in the
MPS Sample Contract (Appendix 3), including naming MPS as an additional insured on
applicable coverages.
P. Non-Waiver of Specifications and Conditions: Failure or neglect of MPS to require
compliance with any term, condition, or specification shall not be deemed a waiver of the
same.
Q. Terms of Payment: Payments will be according to Minnesota Statutes section 471.425,
currently providing for payment within 35 days after receipt of the merchandise or the
invoice, whichever occurs later. Nothing in the vendor's proposal, quote, contract, or
invoice will override this provision.
R. Prompt Payment to Subcontractors: The contract shall comply with Minnesota Statutes
section 471.425 regarding prompt payment to subcontractors, or the specifications,
whichever are most stringent. Section 471.425 requires the prime contractor to pay any
subcontractor or supplier within 10 days of the prime contractor's receipt of payment from
the municipality for undisputed services or supplies provided by the subcontractor or
supplier. Refer to the statute for additional information.

S. Taxes: No direct charge may be made for federal, state, or municipal sales and excise taxes
for which MPS is exempt. The proposed price shall not include the amount of any such tax.
MPS is exempt from paying Minnesota sales and use taxes on certain purchases, as
provided in Minnesota Statutes section 297A.70. Individual exemption certificates will be
furnished upon request if needed by successful vendor(s) to reclaim such charges.
T. Confidentiality and Public Access to Proposals: All materials submitted in response to
this RFP will become the property of MPS. All documents, materials, and information
supplied to the School District are subject to the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act
(MGDPA), Minnesota Statutes Chapter 13. Pursuant to section 13.591 subdivision 3(b),
virtually all information submitted is considered public after contract negotiation is
complete and may be disclosed to third parties. The exception is trade secret information,
as defined and classified in section 13.37 subdivision 1(b). Trade secret information should
not be included in a response unless absolutely necessary.
U. Cost Incurred in Responding: This solicitation does not commit MPS to pay any costs
incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals or in making necessary studies for
the preparation thereof, nor to procure or contract for services.
V. Contract Negotiations, Award, and Form of Contract: Negotiations may include all
aspects of services and fees. After a review of the proposals and finalist presentations, MPS
intends to enter into contract negotiations with the selected vendor(s). If a contract with
the selected vendor is not finalized within 90 days, MPS reserves the right to open
negotiations with the next ranked vendor(s). The selected vendor(s) shall be required to
enter into a written contract with MPS in a form approved by legal counsel for the School
District. A sample MPS contract is attached as Appendix 3. This RFP and the proposal, or
any part thereof, may be incorporated into and made a part of the final contract(s). The
following order of precedence shall apply: (1) the contract and its exhibits, (2) this RFP, and
(3) the vendor's response to this RFP. MPS has no liability to any vendor participating in
this RFP process prior to when the authorized School District signer signs a contract with
that vendor.
W. Contract Term: It is the intent to award the contract(s) for an initial five-year period with
the option to renew for two one-year periods, for a possible total contract term of seven
years. The decision to renew the contract(s) will be at the sole discretion of MPS and agreed
upon by both parties. Vendors must agree to state the contract fees, including maximum
percentage increases, for the possible seven-year contract term. (See section 8.4) Any
subsequent fee change requires written notice to MPS 90 days in advance and is subject to
negotiation and approval by MPS.

X. Assignment: The successful vendor shall not assign, transfer, convey, or otherwise dispose
of the contract, or right, title of interest, or power to execute such a contract, to any
person, firm, or corporation without the previous consent in writing by MPS.
Y. Causes for Termination: Causes for termination of the agreement may include any of the
following: failure to promptly and faithfully provide the services required at the prices
indicated in the proposal, violation of any law governing services provided to the School
District, failure to cooperate upon receiving any reasonable request for information or
service, or improper actions of the officers or employees which in the opinion of MPS
would adversely affect its interest, or a change to the structure of the proposing vendor
such as a spin-off or merger which materially affects the terms of the agreement. MPS may
terminate the agreement without cause with a 90-day notice. MPS may terminate the
agreement with cause with a 30-day notice.
Z. Data Privacy and Student Data: The vendor agrees that any information it creates, collects,
receives, stores, uses, or disseminates in the course of its performance, which concerns the
personal, financial, or other affairs of MPS, its Board, officers, employees, or students, shall
be kept confidential and in conformance with all state and federal laws relating to data
privacy, including without limitation the MGDPA, Minnesota Statutes Chapter 13, and the
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The vendor must comply with
applicable MGDPA requirements as if it were a governmental entity, and the remedies in
Minn. Stat. 13.08 apply to the vendor. No educational data created, received, maintained,
or disseminated by the vendor shall become or be considered property of the vendor. The
vendor shall be considered a "technology provider" for purposes of Minn. Stat. 13.32 and
shall abide by all requirements and restrictions of that section, including prohibitions on
using educational data for any commercial purpose. The successful vendor will be required
to execute the Student Data Privacy exhibit included in the MPS Sample Contract
(Appendix 3).
AA. Digital Accessibility: The vendor shall ensure all digital products and services, including
software, websites, web apps, mobile apps, integrations and plug-ins, electronic
documents, forms, and multimedia, comply with WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards and any
other applicable accessibility requirements imposed by federal, state, or local laws or
regulations, including ADA Title II (28 C.F.R. Part 35) and Sections 504 and 508 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The vendor shall provide an Accessibility Conformance Report
(VPAT/ACR) and testing results upon delivery and upon request. The successful vendor will
be required to execute the Digital Accessibility Compliance Rider included in the MPS
Sample Contract (Appendix 3).
BB. Conflict of Interest and Code of Ethics: The vendor agrees to be bound by the MPS Code
of Ethics. The vendor certifies that it has not paid kickbacks directly or indirectly to any

MPS employee for the purpose of obtaining this or any other MPS contract, agrees to
cooperate fully with any investigation involving a possible violation, and agrees to report
any suspected violations to MPS. All vendors are required to complete the Conflict of
Interest Certification (Appendix 1 (b)). If the certification is not submitted with the
vendor's proposal, MPS reserves the right to request the completed certification during the
evaluation process. Failure to provide the certification upon request may result in
disqualification.
5. Requirements and Points of Interest
5.1 General System Requirements
The proposed solution must:
1. Be fully SaaS hosted
2. Require no School District-hosted infrastructure
3. Support role-based security
4. Support multi-factor authentication
5. Support single sign-on (SSO) via SAML or OIDC
6. Provide comprehensive audit logging
7. Provide configurable workflow automation
8. Provide API-first architecture
9. Support mobile devices
10. Support unlimited historical data retention
5.2 Experience Requirements
Vendor shall provide a complete list of current or former Minnesota school district ERP clients
with at least 500 permanent employees since January 1, 2021, including:
District Name
Go-Live Date
Modules Implemented
Termination Date (if applicable)