FluidFocus

UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
Notice of Proposed Sole Source Purchase
#ITSS 490
The University of Mississippi (UM) anticipates purchasing the item(s) listed below as an IT sole source purchase.
Anyone objecting to this purchase as a sole source shall follow the procedures outlined below.
Commodity or commodities to be purchased (manufacturer, model, description):
Fluid Focus, LTD
The need to be fulfilled by this item(s) and why it is the only one that can meet the specific needs of
the department:
The Magee Center for AOD and Wellness Education is seeking an institutional platform that delivers a
campus-wide approach to digital well-being that encourages focus, reduces screen time, offers
incentives/rewards, and aligns with wellness programming. The platform should be an app designed for
direct student use that includes aggregated and anonymized analytics, ease of activation,
communications support, and offer an opportunity for rewards and charitable giving administration.
Fluid Focus is a digital well-being platform designed to help students build healthier relationships with
their digital devices (phones, tablets, etc.) by encouraging intentional technology and/or app use rather
than simply restricting access to certain apps. The platform combines app blocking, customizable focus
sessions, and behavioral science principles to help users reduce screen time, minimize distractions, and
improve concentration. Functional areas unique to Fluid Focus include a student-facing app, institutional
analytics dashboard, an activation and communications package, and a rewards and charitable giving
mechanism. The app enables focus sessions with rewards tied to completing focus activity, app blocking
during focus sessions, the ability to plan focus periods, and track user habits in regard to app use. The
app also allows users to provide charitable giving through their time spent in focus sessions. The
analytics dashboard provides reporting on adoption, engagement, focus activity, and student wellbeing
check-ins which gives the Magee Center staff visibility of trends without individual student monitoring.
Dashboard analytics are anonymized to protect student identification which will encourage use by
students. Activation of the app to initiate focus sessions can be accomplished with NFC tags placed in
strategic campus locations. Communications include support, launch and campaign materials, and
student-facing communications that encourages use of the app.
Name of company/individual selling the item and why that source is the only possible source that can
provide the required item(s):
FluidFocus is the sole developer, publisher, licensor, implementer, and support provider for the Fluid
Focus solution the platform is not available through distributors or resellers. No other platform provides
the features of FluidFocus that includes all of the functional areas we require.
Why the amount to be expended for the commodity is reasonable:
The amount of $7500 is a reasonable price allowing for a pilot study to be conducted with four cohorts
of students to determine the product effectiveness for mainstream campus use.
Efforts that the agency went through to obtain the best possible price:
The departmental staff negotiated a reduction of $1,000 from the standard base price.
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Submission Instructions and Format of Response from Objecting Parties:
Interested parties who have reason to believe that the item(s) above should not be certified as a sole source
should provide information in the following format for UM to use in determining whether or not to proceed with
awarding the Sole Source purchase.
1.1 Interested Party Information
1.1.1 Contact Name, Phone Number, Address and email address
1.1.2 Company Website URL, if applicable
1.2 Objection to Sole Source Certification
1.2.1 Interested parties must present specific objections to the Sole Source certification using the
criteria listed above.
1.2.2 A statement regarding the Interested Party's capabilities as related to this Sole Source
Certification Request.
1.2.3 Comments will be accepted at any time prior to Tuesday, September 1, 2026 at 10:00 am
(Central Time). Comments should be addressed to:
Jeff Wells, Procurement Manager
The University of Mississippi Procurement Services
164 Jeanette Phillips Drive
PO Box 1848
University, Mississippi 38677
1.2.4 Responses may be delivered by hand, via regular mail, overnight delivery, or e-mail at
solesource@olemiss.edu with cc: to bids@olemiss.edu and must reference the sole source
number.
1.2.5 UM WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DELAYS IN THE DELIVERY OF RESPONSES. It is solely the
responsibility of the Interested Parties that responses reach UM on time. Interested parties
may contact Jeff Wells at 662-915-7448 to verify the receipt of their responses. Responses
received after the deadline will be rejected.
If after a review of the submitted notice and documents, UM determines that the commodity in the
proposed sole source request can be provided by another person or entity, then UM will withdraw the
sole source certification and submit the procurement of the commodity to an advertised competitive
bid or selection process.
If UM determines after review that there is only one (1) source for the required purchase, then UM will
follow applicable ITS procedures for making the purchase.
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