Legislative Consultation Services

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
CENTRAL PIEDMONT COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Request for Proposal #: 88-260030-JE
Legislative Consultation Services
Date of Issue: July 31, 2026
Proposal Opening Date: August 20, 2026
At 2:00PM ET
Direct all inquiries concerning this RFP to:
Jennifer Ennis
Procurement Director
Email: jennifer.ennis@cpcc.edu
Phone: 704-330-6089

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
Request for Proposal #
88-260030-JE
______________________________________________________
For internal State agency processing, including tabulation of proposals, provide your company's eVP (Electronic
Vendor Portal) Number. Pursuant to G.S. 132-1.10(b) this identification number shall not be released to the public.
This page will be removed and shredded, or otherwise kept confidential, before the procurement file is made
available for public inspection.
This page shall be filled out and returned with your proposal.
Failure to do so may subject your proposal to rejection.
___________________________________________________
Vendor Name
______________________________
Vendor eVP#
Note: For a contract to be awarded to you, your company (you) must be a North Carolina registered Vendor in
good standing. You must enter the Vendor number assigned through eVP (Electronic Vendor Portal). If you do
not have a Vendor number, register athttps://evp.nc.gov/SignIn
Electronic responses ONLY will be accepted for this solicitation.
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Proposal Number: 88-260030-JE Vendor: __________________________________________
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
CENTRAL PIEDMONT COMMUNITTY COLLEGE
Refer ALL Inquiries regarding this RFP to: Request for Proposal #: 88-260030-JE
Jennifer Ennis Proposals will be publicly opened: August 20, 2026
jennifer.ennis@cpcc.edu Proposals due: 2:00PM
Bid Opening: 2:15PM
Using Agency: Central Piedmont Community College Commodity No. and Description: 801015 - Consultation
Requisition No.: TBD Services
EXECUTION
In compliance with this Request for Proposals (RFP), and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned Vendor
offers and agrees to furnish and deliver any or all items upon which prices are bid, at the prices set opposite each item
within the time specified herein.
By executing this proposal, the undersigned Vendor understands that false certification is a Class I felony and certifies
that:
this proposal is submitted competitively and without collusion (G.S. 143-54),
none of its officers, directors, or owners of an unincorporated business entity has been convicted of any
violations of Chapter 78A of the General Statutes, the Securities Act of 1933, or the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 (G.S. 143-59.2), and
it is not an ineligible Vendor as set forth in G.S. 143-59.1.
Furthermore, by executing this proposal, the undersigned certifies to the best of Vendor's knowledge and belief, that:
it and its principals are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible or
voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal or State department or agency.
As required by G.S. 143-48.5, the undersigned Vendor certifies that it, and each of its sub-Contractors for any Contract
awarded as a result of this RFP, complies with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the NC General Statutes,
including the requirement for each employer with more than 25 employees in North Carolina to verify the work
authorization of its employees through the federal E-Verify system.
As required by Executive Order 24 (2017), the undersigned vendor certifies will comply with all Federal and State
requirements concerning fair employment and that it does not and will not discriminate, harass, or retaliate against
any employee in connection with performance of any Contract arising from this solicitation.
G.S. 133-32 and Executive Order 24 (2009) prohibit the offer to, or acceptance by, any State Employee associated with
the preparing plans, specifications, estimates for public contracts; or awarding or administering public contracts; or
inspecting or supervising delivery of the public contract of any gift from anyone with a contract with the State, or from
any person seeking to do business with the State. By execution of this response to the RFP, the undersigned certifies,
for Vendor's entire organization and its employees or agents, that Vendor is not aware that any such gift has been
offered, accepted, or promised by any employees of your organization.
By executing this proposal, Vendor certifies that it has read and agreed to the INSTRUCTION TO VENDORS and the
NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS incorporated herein. These documents can be accessed from
the ATTACHMENTS page within this document.
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Proposal Number: 88-260030-JE
Vendor: __________________________________________
Failure to execute/sign proposal prior to submittal may render proposal invalid and it MAY BE REJECTED. Late
proposals shall not be accepted.
COMPLETE/FORMAL NAME OF VENDOR:
STREET ADDRESS: P.O. BOX: ZIP:
CITY & STATE & ZIP: TELEPHONE TOLL FREE TEL. NO:
NUMBER:
PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS ADDRESS IF DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE (SEE INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS ITEM #21):
PRINT NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING ON BEHALF OF VENDOR:
VENDOR'S AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE*: DATE: EMAIL:
VALIDITY PERIOD
Offer shall be valid for at least one hundred twenty days (120) days from date of bid opening, unless otherwise stated
here: ______ days, or if extended by mutual agreement of the parties in writing. Any withdrawal of this offer shall
be made in writing, effective upon receipt by the agency issuing this RFP.
ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSAL
If your proposal is accepted, all provisions of this RFP, along with the written results of any negotiations, shall constitute
the written agreement between the parties ("Contract"). The NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
are incorporated herein and shall apply. Depending upon the Goods or Services being offered, other terms and
conditions may apply, as mutually agreed.
FOR STATE USE ONLY: Offer accepted and Contract awarded this________ day of __________, 20____, as
indicated on
The attached certification, by ____________________________________________________________________.
(Authorized Representative of Central Piedmont Community College
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Proposal Number: 88-260030-JE
Vendor: __________________________________________
Contents
1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND ............................................................................................. 4
2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION ....................................................................................................... 5
2.1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENT ............................................................................. 5
2.2 E-PROCUREMENT FEE ......................................................................................................... 5
2.3 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS ............................... 5
2.4 RFP SCHEDULE ..................................................................................................................... 6
2.5 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS ....................................................................................................... 6
2.6 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL ....................................................................................................... 6
2.7 PROPOSAL CONTENTS ........................................................................................................ 7
2.8 ALTERNATE PROPOSALS .................................................................................................... 8
2.9 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................ 8
3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS ....................................... 8
3.1 METHOD OF AWARD ............................................................................................................. 8
3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION......... 9
3.3 PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS ................................................................................... 9
3.4 EVALUATION CRITERIA ...................................................................................................... 10
3.5 PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES ............................................................. 10
3.6 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES .................................................................. 11
4.0 REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................................................... 11
4.1 PRICING ................................................................................................................................ 11
4.2 FINANCIAL STABILITY ........................................................................................................ 11
4.3 VENDOR EXPERIENCE ........................................................................................................ 12
4.4 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 12
4.5 BACKGROUND CHECKS ..................................................................................................... 12
4.6 PERSONNEL ......................................................................................................................... 12
4.7 VENDOR'S REPRESENTATIONS ........................................................................................ 12
4.8 AGENCY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS MODIFICATION ................................................. 13
4.9 LOBBYING ACTIVITY CERTIFICATION FOR FEDERAL GRANTS ..................................... 13
4.10 SUBCONTRACTORS ............................................................................................................ 13
4.11 SECRETARY OF STATE REGISTRATION ........................................................................... 13
5.0 SPECIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF WORK .......................................................................... 14
5.1 GENERAL ............................................................................................................................. 14
5.2 SPECIFICATIONS ................................................................................................................. 14
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Proposal Number: 88-260030-JE
Vendor: __________________________________________
5.3 TASKS/DELIVERABLES ...................................................................................................... 15
5.4 QUESTIONS TO VENDORS ................................................................................................. 16
5.5 PROJECT ORGANIZATION .................................................................................................. 16
5.6 TECHNICAL APPROACH ..................................................................................................... 16
6.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION............................................................................................. 16
6.1 CONTRACT MANAGER AND CUSTOMER SERVICE ......................................................... 16
6.2 INVOICES .............................................................................................................................. 17
6.3 POST AWARD BUSINESS REVIEW MEETINGS ................................................................. 17
6.4 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT ............................................................................................ 17
6.5 PERIODIC WEEKLY REPORTS ........................................................................................... 17
6.6 TRANSITION ASSISTANCE ................................................................................................. 18
6.7 DISPUTE RESOLUTION ....................................................................................................... 18
6.8 CONTRACT CHANGES ........................................................................................................ 18
7.0 ATTACHMENTS ..................................................................................................................... 19
ATTACHMENT A: PRICING............................................................................................................... 19
ATTACHMENT B: INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS .......................................................................... 20
ATTACHMENT C: NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS ................................... 20
ATTACHMENT D: OMITTED INTENTIONALLY ................................................................................ 20
ATTACHMENT E: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM ....................................................................... 20
ATTACHMENT F: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR ........................................... 20
ATTACHMENT G: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION ................................................... 20
ATTACHMENT H: CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS ............................................. 20
LOBBYING ACTIVITY CERTIFICATION FOR FEDERAL GRANTS .................................................. 22
1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND
Central Piedmont is seeking the Strategic Government Relations/Advocacy Services of a professional
consulting firm to better position the college and its unique role as one of the largest urban community
colleges, operating in the largest county in the state. Services include supporting the college's legislative,
regulatory, and budget advocacy, developing the college's advocacy plan, and tracking legislation and
providing progress reports.
The findings will help ensure alignment and a shared understanding of the scope and impact of legislative
priorities, while informing strategic guidance that supports college leadership in proactively advancing the
college's mission.
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Proposal Number: 88-260030-JE
Vendor: __________________________________________
Current state funding and program approval models treat all 58 community colleges in North Carolina as a
monolith. Central Piedmont's mission can fully realize its potential with additional funding that parallels the
college's enrollment growth.
The intent of this solicitation is to award an Agency Contract.
1.1 CONTRACT TERM
The Contract shall have an initial term of one (1) year, beginning on the date of final Contract execution (the "Effective
Date"). The Vendor shall begin work under the Contract within 30 business days of the Effective Date.
At the end of the Contract's initial term, the State shall have the option, in its sole discretion, to renew the Contract on
the same terms and conditions for up to two (2) additional one-year terms. The State will give the Vendor written
notice of its intent to exercise each option no later than 30 days before the end of the Contract's then-current term. In
addition to any optional renewal terms, and with the Vendor's concurrence, the State reserves the right to extend the
Contract after the last active term.
Proposals shall be submitted in accordance with the terms and conditions of this RFP and any addenda issued hereto.
2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION
2.1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENT
This RFP is comprised of the base RFP document, any attachments, and any addenda released before Contract award,
which are incorporated herein by reference.
2.2 E-PROCUREMENT FEE
ATTENTION: The E-Procurement fee may apply to this solicitation. See the paragraph entitled ELECTRONIC
PROCUREMENT of the North Carolina General Terms and Conditions.
General information on the E-Procurement Services can be found at: http://eprocurement.nc.gov/.
2.3 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS
It shall be the Vendor's responsibility to read the Instructions to Vendors, the North Carolina General Terms and
Conditions, all relevant exhibits and attachments, and any other components made a part of this RFP and comply with
all requirements and specifications herein. Vendors are also responsible for obtaining and complying with all Addenda
and other changes that may be issued in connection with this RFP.
If Vendors have questions or issues regarding any component of this RFP, those must be submitted as questions in
accordance with the instructions in the PROPOSAL QUESTIONS Section. If the State determines that any changes will
be made as a result of the questions asked, then such decisions will be communicated in the form of an RFP addendum.
The State may also elect to leave open the possibility for later negotiation of specific provisions of the Contract that
have been addressed during the question-and-answer period, prior to contract award.
Other than through the process of negotiation under 01 NCAC 05B.0503, the State rejects and will not be required to
evaluate or consider any additional or modified terms and conditions submitted with Vendor's proposal or otherwise.
This applies to any language appearing in or attached to the document as part of the Vendor's proposal that purports
to vary any terms and conditions or Vendors' instructions herein or to render the proposal non-binding or subject to
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Proposal Number: 88-260030-JE
Vendor: __________________________________________
further negotiation. Vendor's proposal shall constitute a firm offer that shall be held open for the period required
herein ("Validity Period" above).
The State may exercise its discretion to consider Vendor proposed modifications. By execution and delivery of this
RFP Response, the Vendor agrees that any additional or modified terms and conditions, whether submitted
purposely or inadvertently, shall have no force or effect, and will be disregarded unless expressly agreed upon
through negotiation and incorporated by way of a Best and Final Offer (BAFO). Noncompliance with, or any attempt
to alter or delete, this paragraph shall constitute sufficient grounds to reject Vendor's proposal as nonresponsive.
2.4 RFP SCHEDULE
The table below shows the intended schedule for this RFP. The State will make every effort to adhere to this schedule.
Event Responsibility Date and Time
Issue RFP State July 31, 2026
Submit Written Questions Vendor August 11, 2026 by 2pm
Provide Response to Questions State August 12, 2026
Submit Proposals Vendor August 20, 2026 by 2pm
Public Bid Opening (2:15PM):
Phone: 929-346-6957
Reference: 982 831 374#
Contract Award State TBD
2.5 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS
Upon review of the RFP documents, Vendors may have questions to clarify or interpret the RFP in order to submit the
best proposal possible. To accommodate the Proposal Questions process, Vendors shall submit any such questions by
the "Submit Written Questions" date and time provided in the RFP SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by
Addendum.
Written questions shall be emailed to jennifer.ennis@cpcc.edu by the date and time specified above. Vendors should
enter "RFP # 88-260030-JE: Questions" as the subject for the email. Question submittals should include a reference to
the applicable RFP section and be submitted in the format shown below:
Reference Vendor Question
RFP Section, Page Number Vendor question ...?
Questions received prior to the submission deadline date, the State's response, and any additional terms deemed
necessary by the State will be posted in the form of an addendum to the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP),
https://evp.nc.gov, and shall become an Addendum to this RFP. No information, instruction or advice provided orally or
informally by any State personnel, whether made in response to a question or otherwise in connection with this RFP,
shall be considered authoritative or binding. Vendors shall rely only on written material contained in the RFP and an
addendum to this RFP.
2.6 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL
IMPORTANT NOTE: This is an absolute requirement. Late bids, regardless of cause, will not be opened or considered,
and will be automatically disqualified from further consideration. Vendor shall bear the sole risk of late submission due
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Proposal Number: 88-260030-JE
Vendor: __________________________________________
to unintended or unanticipated delay. It is the Vendor's sole responsibility to ensure its proposal has been received as
described in this RFP by the specified time and date of opening. The time and date of receipt will be marked on each
proposal when received. Any proposal or portion thereof received after the proposal deadline will be rejected.
The electronic vendor portal (eVP) is applicable to this RFP and all proposal responses shall be submitted
electronically via the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP). Additional information can be found at the eVP updates for
Vendors link: https://eprocurement.nc.gov/news-events/evp-updates-vendors.
If confidential and proprietary information is included in the proposal, also submit one (1) signed, REDACTED copy of
the proposal. Such information may include trade secrets defined by N.C. Gen. Stat. 66-152 and other information
exempted from the Public Records Act pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. 132- 1.2. Vendor may designate information,
Products, Services or appropriate portions of its response as confidential, consistent with and to the extent permitted
under the statutes and rules set forth above. By so redacting any page, or portion of a page, the Vendor warrants that
it has formed a good faith opinion, having received such necessary or proper review by counsel and other
knowledgeable advisors, that the portions determined to be confidential and proprietary and redacted as such, meet
the requirements of the Rules and Statutes set forth above. However, under no circumstances shall price information
be designated as confidential.
If the Vendor does not provide a redacted version of the proposal with its proposal submission, Central Piedmont
Community College will assume no exemptions apply and will release an unredacted version if a freedom of
information act or public information records request is received.
If the vendor has confidential information, as defined in N.C. Gen. Stat. 66-152 and other information exempted from
the Public Records Act pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. 132- 1.2, a redacted copy of response was provided through eVP,
at the time of bid submission. Vendor Acknowledgment: Redacted Copy submitted _______________Yes
_____________No
If "No" is checked, or if no response was provided, this copy of your response, in its entirety, WILL BE provided, to third-
party firms, as the result of any public records request.
Failure to submit a proposal in strict accordance with these instructions shall constitute sufficient cause to reject a
Vendor's proposal(s). Vendors are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to upload proposals.
Critical updated information may be included in Addenda to this RFP. It is important that all Vendors responding to this
RFP periodically check the State's eVP website for any Addenda that may be issued prior to the bid opening date. All
Vendors shall be deemed to have read and understood all information in this RFP and all Addenda thereto.
2.7 PROPOSAL CONTENTS
Vendors shall populate all attachments of this RFP that require the Vendor to provide information and include an
authorized signature where requested. Failure to provide all required items, or Vendor's submission of incomplete
items, may result in the State rejecting Vendor's proposal, in the State's sole discretion.
Vendor RFP responses shall include the following items and attachments, which shall be arranged in the following
order:
a) Cover Letter, which must contain the following: (i) a statement that confirms that the proposer has read the RFP
in its entirety, including all links, and all Addenda released in conjunction with the RFP, (ii) a statement that the
Vendor agrees to perform in accordance with the scope of work, requirements, and specifications contained
herein; and (iii) Vendor's agreement to comply with all instructions, terms and conditions, and attachments.
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Proposal Number: 88-260030-JE
Vendor: __________________________________________
b) Title Page: Include the company name, address, phone number and authorized representative along with the
Proposal Number.
c) Vendor Response: Section 2.6 Proposal Submittal (check mark); Section 6.1. Contract Manager & Customer Service
(fill-in); 4.13 Secretary of State Registration (check box)
d) Completed and signed version of all EXECUTION PAGES, along with the body of the RFP.
e) Signed receipt pages of any addenda released in conjunction with this RFP, if required to be returned.
f) Vendor's Proposal addressing all Specifications of this RFP, as applicable in sections 4.0 and 5.0.
g) Completed version of ATTACHMENT A: PRICING
h) Completed version of ATTACHMENT E: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM
i) Completed version of ATTACHMENT F: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR
j) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT G: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
k) Completed and signed version of CERTIFICATION FOR CONTRACTS, GRANTS, LOANS, AND COOPERATIVE
AGREEMENTS and OMB STANDARD FORM LLL
2.8 ALTERNATE PROPOSALS
Unless provided otherwise in this RFP, Vendor may submit alternate proposals for comparable Goods, various methods
or levels of Service(s), or that propose different options. Alternate proposals must specifically identify the RFP
requirements and advantage(s) addressed by the alternate proposal. Any alternate proposal, in addition to the marking
described above, must be clearly marked with the legend: "Alternate Proposal #___ [for 'name of Vendor']". Each
proposal must be for a specific set of Goods and Services and must include specific pricing. If a Vendor chooses to
respond with various offerings, each must be offered with a separate price and be contained in a separate proposal
document. Each proposal must be complete and independent of other proposals offered.
2.9 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS
Relevant definitions for this RFP are provided in 01 NCAC 05A .0112 and in the Instructions to Vendors found below
which are incorporated herein by this reference.
Liaise: To communicate and work closely with another person, team, or organization to coordinate activities or
exchange information.
ROI: Return on Investment
3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS
3.1 METHOD OF AWARD
North Carolina G.S. 143-52 provides a general list of criteria the State shall use to award contracts, as supplemented
by the additional criteria herein. The Goods or Services being procured shall dictate the application and order of
criteria; however, all award decisions shall be in the State's best interest. All qualified proposals will be evaluated, and
awards will be made to the Vendor(s) meeting the specific RFP Specifications and achieving the highest and best final
evaluation, based on the criteria described below.
While the intent of this RFP is to award a Contract(s) to a single vendor, the State reserves the right to make separate
awards to different Vendors for one or more-line items, to not award one or more line items or to cancel this RFP in its
entirety without awarding a Contract, if it is considered to be most advantageous to the State to do so.
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