Learning Management System For Landlord Certification Program

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
RFP # HCD-2026-02
CONTRACT FOR SERVICES
LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR LANDLORD CERTIFICATION
PROGRAM
RFP Issuance Date: Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Proposal Submission Deadline: 5:00 p.m., Monday, September 7, 2026
For technical information, please contact:
Paloma Arroyo-LeFebre
City of Takoma Park
7500 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20912
Phone: 301-891-7222
E-mail: PalomaL@takomaparkmd.gov
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Contents
NOTICE TO POTENTIAL RESPONDENTS ........................................................................................................... 3
PURPOSE ......................................................................................................................................................... 4
SCOPE OF SERVICES AND DELIVERABLES ........................................................................................................ 4
RFP TIMELINE .................................................................................................................................................. 6
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION ................................................................................................................................ 6
SELECTION PROCESS ....................................................................................................................................... 7
QUESTIONS ..................................................................................................................................................... 8
GENERAL CONDITIONS .................................................................................................................................... 8
SUBMISSION FORMS ..................................................................................................................................... 12
CITY OF TAKOMA PARK MARYLAND QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION STATEMENT .......................... 13
CERTIFICATION OF NON-INVOLVEMENT IN THE NUCLEAR WEAPONS INDUSTRY ..................................... 15
LIVING WAGE REQUIREMENTS CERTIFICATION ......................................................................................... 16
SAMPLE CONTRACT ...................................................................................................................................... 18
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NOTICE TO POTENTIAL RESPONDENTS
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
RFP # HCD-2026-02
Contract for Services Learning Management System
for Landlord Certification Program
Proposals For: Contract for Services LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR LANDLORD
CERTIFICATION PROGRAM.
Publication Date: Request for Proposal documents will be available beginning Tuesday, June
30, 2026. Bid packages may be obtained from the City of Takoma Park
website at https://takomaparkmd.gov/Bids.aspx.
Deadline: Proposals are due no later than Monday, September 7, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. EST
Scope of Work: The City of Takoma Park Maryland is seeking a qualified and experienced firm
to conduct Tenant Organizing services for multifamily buildings located in
Takoma Park.
Contact: Paloma Arroyo-LeFebre, Housing Manager
Housing and Community Development Department
City of Takoma Park, Maryland
7500 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20912
Phone 301-891-7222
Email PalomaL@TakomaParkMD.gov
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PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF SERVICES AND DELIVERABLES
LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR LANDLORD CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
RFP # HCD-2026-02
Purpose
The City of Takoma Park Housing and Community Development Department is seeking proposals
from qualified software providers to deliver an Application Service Provider (ASP) / Software as a
Service (SaaS) learning management system. The ultimate goal is to effectively train and certify
rental property owners and management agents operating within the City.
Scope of Services and Deliverables
The selected firm ("Contractor") shall be responsible for delivering a comprehensive LMS platform,
including implementation, training, hosting, and ongoing technical support. All tasks identified in
this section are considered mandatory minimum requirements:
* Platform Licensing & Hosting: Provide a cloud-hosted LMS SaaS solution scaled for an
initial base of 50 active users. The system must be hosted in an international cloud
environment (such as Amazon AWS) with a guaranteed 99.5% uptime on a 24/7 basis.
* Implementation & Customization: Complete standard implementation and out-of-scope
development necessary to customize and launch the landlord training courses.
* Training: Provide remote training for City administrators to operate the platform. The
proposal should also include rates for optional onsite training.
* Technical Support (Service Level Agreement): The Contractor must provide a dedicated
Support Desk.
Standard support must be available via email and a ticketing system from 9:00 AM
o
to 5:00 PM local time on business days, with an initial email response time of
within 8 to 24 hours.
P1 Incidents (Service down): 30-minute average response time and a 4-hour
o
resolution time.
P2 Incidents (Partial outage): 30-minute response and 8-business-hour resolution.
o
P3 Incidents (Bugs/Issues): 30-minute response and a workaround provided within
o
24 business hours.
Optional: Bidders may include an alternative pricing tier for dedicated voice-based
o
L1 support.
* Disaster Recovery: Maintain incremental, real-time data backups and full monthly
backups, retaining a 30-day snapshot of all data at any given time for disaster recovery
purposes.
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TIMELINE AND PROPOSAL SUBMISSION
LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR LANDLORD CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
RFP # HCD-2026-02
RFP Timeline
The following anticipated timeline is provided for planning purposes. The City reserves the right to
modify these dates as needed.
* RFP Release Date: Tuesday, June 30, 2026
* Deadline for Written Questions: Monday, August 31, 2026
* Proposal Submission Deadline: Monday, September 7, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. EST
* Notice of Intent to Award: Beginning of November 2026
Proposal Submission
Proposal Submission
The proposal must contain sufficient information to enable the Selection Committee to evaluate
the firm's capabilities and software platform. The proposal should include:
1. Cover Letter: A brief description of the firm, including name, address, telephone number,
and email address.
2. Narrative Statement: A demonstration of the firm's understanding of the RFP intent and
the methods used to provide the Scope of Services. This should include:
A platform overview and features relevant to certification programs.
o
A description of past performance and experience with comparable municipal or
o
certification projects.
Information on the platform's disaster recovery and uptime guarantees.
o
3. Provisional Budget: Submitted using a line-item format, including:
Annual SaaS pricing (per active user per month or flat rate).
o
Standard implementation and customization costs.
o
Hourly rates for professional services, out-of-scope development, or onsite
o
training.
Optional pricing for dedicated voice call support.
o
4. References: At least three references attesting to the quality and reliability of the
software.
5. Required Certifications: Qualification and Certification Statement, Certification of Non-
Involvement in the Nuclear Weapons Industry, and Living Wage Requirements
Certification.
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SELECTION PROCESS
LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR LANDLORD CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
RFP # HCD-2026-02
Selection Process
Proposals will be evaluated by a City-appointed Evaluation Committee. The maximum score per
proposal is 100 points, broken down as follows:
* Platform Features & Technical Approach: 40 Points
* Organizational Qualifications & Support Capacity: 30 Points
* Past Performance & References: 15 Points
* Budget & Cost Reasonableness: 15 Points
Evaluation Criteria
The Evaluation Committee will evaluate and rank responsive proposals using the criteria listed
below. Additional evidence of unique program offerings or relevant experience also will be
considered. All references will be subject to appropriate evaluation. The maximum score per
proposal is 100 points.
Evaluation Criteria Points
Project Approach & Work Plan 40
Organizational Qualifications, Experience, & Capacity 30
Past Performance & References 15
Budget & Cost Reasonableness 15
Total Possible Points 100
Submission Deadline and Instructions
Proposals must be received no later than Monday, September 7, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. EST. Late
proposals will not be accepted. Proposals shall be submitted electronically through the City's
grant portal.
Rejection of Proposals
The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, waive informalities, negotiate scope and
pricing with the selected proposer, and cancel this procurement at any time if deemed in the
City's best interest.
Any contract resulting from this RFP may be terminated for convenience or for cause by the City
upon written notice.
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QUESTIONS
LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR LANDLORD CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
RFP # HCD-2026-02
General clarifications and questions related to this RFP may be submitted in writing and emailed to
palomal@takomaparkmd.gov. Please include "RFP # HCD-2026-02 Question" in the subject line of
the email. All questions will be answered via email.
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GENERAL CONDITIONS
LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR LANDLORD CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
RFP # HCD-2026-02
The General Conditions set out below apply to all formal solicitations for the City of Takoma Park,
Maryland. Bidders are responsible for informing themselves of these requirements prior to
submission of proposals. The term "bid" and "bidder" as used in these General Conditions shall
include the term "proposal" and "offeror" or "respondent."
Receipt of Proposals
Proposals or amendments received after the time specified below for Opening will not be
considered.
Properly marked proposals attached as a PDF, that are received prior to the specified time of the
Opening will be kept unopened until the bid Opening date and time.
No liability shall be attached to the City or appointed City representative for the premature opening
of an improperly addressed or improperly identified bid.
Opening of Proposals
Bid opening will be held at 12:00 p.m. on September, 11, 2026 in the offices of the City of Takoma
Park's Housing and Community Development Department.
Unless otherwise specified by the City, all proposals submitted shall be binding for City acceptance
for 90 calendar days from the date of the opening of proposals.
Award or Rejection of Proposals
A contract shall be awarded to a responsive and responsible bidder or individual. The City reserves
the right, in its sole discretion, to: 1) accept a proposal in part or as a whole; 2) reject any or all
proposals; 3) re-advertise the Request for Proposals; 4) waive any required information set forth in
this Request for Proposals; 5) select a bid and make a contract award which best serves the most
effective and efficient performance of the contract services and the interests of the City; and/or 6)
reject any and all proposals that comply with these Request for Proposals specifications, or to
accept a higher bid proposal that complies, provided that, in the judgment of the City, the services
or items offered under the higher bid proposal have additional values or functions justifying the
difference in price.
The City reserves the right to personally interview bidders and to inspect the bidder's place of
business, inventory, vehicles, supplies and equipment, contact references and inspect past projects
prior to making a bid award. The City also reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject the
proposal of a bidder who has previously failed to satisfactorily perform or to timely complete a
contract of a similar nature (whether for the City or for a different jurisdiction or entity) or a
proposal of a bidder who, upon investigation, is not in position to perform the contract.
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GENERAL CONDITIONS
LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR LANDLORD CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
RFP # HCD-2026-02
A written notice of the award (or acceptance of the bid) will be provided to the successful bidder
within the specified acceptance period.
Changes in Specifications
The City may, during the proposal period, advise prospective respondents by bulletin or addenda
of changes in information contained in the Request for Proposals. All such changes shall be
deemed a part of the RFP, and shall become part of the information contained in the RFP as
originally issued.
Subcontractors
Bidders may not assign or sublet the contract services or any part thereof without the prior written
consent of the City Manager, or his or her duly appointed representative. Bidders must request
approval in writing for any such assignment or subcontracting, including the name of such assignee
or subcontractor(s) he or she intends to use, the specific services or materials to be furnished by
such assignee or subcontractor, the assignee or subcontractor's place of business, and other
information as the City Manager may require.
Compliance with Specifications
Bidders shall abide by and comply with the true intent of the Scope of Service detailed in the
Request for Proposals and not take advantage of any unintentional error or omission.
Payment
Invoice for payment must be submitted by email to the City, payment for which will be made only
upon acceptance of the services or items represented by the invoice. Payment terms are net 30
unless special arrangements have been established.
Bidders shall not legally or equitably assign any of the monies payable under the contract, or its
claim thereto, unless by and with the written consent of the City Manager.
Indemnification and Insurance
The bidder is responsible for any loss, personal injury, death, property damages, and any other
damages of every name and description that may be done or suffered by reason of bidder's
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GENERAL CONDITIONS
LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR LANDLORD CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
RFP # HCD-2026-02
negligence or failure to perform any contractual obligations. The bidder shall indemnify and save
harmless the City of Takoma Park, its employees, officials, and agents, from and against all losses,
liabilities, claims, demands, damages, suits, costs and expenses of any kind, including attorney's
fees and litigation expenses, suffered or incurred due to the bidder's negligence, tortuous act or
omission, or failure to perform any of its contractual obligations.
The bidder must obtain at its own cost and expense, and keep in force and effect during the term
of the contract with the City for the contract work, including all extensions and renewals, the
insurance specified below, with an insurance company licensed or qualified to do business in the
state of Maryland. A certificate of insurance must be submitted to the City prior to the
commencement of any work under the contract and prior to any contract modification extending
the term of the contract, as evidence of compliance with this provision. The City of Takoma Park
must be named as an additional insured on all liability policies. A minimum of thirty (30) days
written notice to the City of cancellation or material change in any of the policies is required. In no
event may the insurance coverage be less than that shown below, unless the requirements of this
section are waived, in whole or in part, in writing by the City Manager.
Coverage Amount or Limits
Workers Compensation (for bidders with employees) MD Statutory Limits
Commercial General Liability $1,000,000
(Minimum combined single limit for bodily
injury and property damage per occurrence,
including contractual liability, premises and
operations, and independent contractors.)
Minimum Automobile Liability
(Including owned, hired and non-owned
automobiles.)
Bodily injury, each occurrence $300,000
Bodily injury, each person $100,000
Property damage, each occurrence $300,000
Professional Liability $1,000,000
(For errors, omission, and negligent acts, per
claim and Aggregate, with one-year discovery
period and maximum deductible of $25,000)
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