Online Graduate Program Marketing and Recruitment Services

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP)

Request for Proposal #: 71-Q2026-01

Online Graduate Program Marketing and Recruitment Services

Date of Issue: 3/12/2026

Proposal Opening Date: 4/15/2026

At 2:00 PM (ET)

Direct all inquiries concerning this RFP to:

Tonya Sikes

Purchasing Specialist

Email: tonya.sikes@uncp.edu

Phone: 910-522-5740

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

Request for Proposal #

71-Q2026-01 ______________________________________________________

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 at

Electronic responses ONLY will be accepted for this solicitation.

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.

Failure to execute/sign proposal prior to submittal may render proposal invalid and it MAY BE REJECTED. Late proposals shall not be accepted.

VALIDITY PERIOD

Offer shall be valid for at least one hundred eighty (180) 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.

PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to seek competitive proposals from qualified vendors to establish an Agency Contract to provide for Online Accelerated Program (OAP) Marketing & Recruitment services for the University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP).

UNCP has offered online degree programs, and our portfolio of programs continues to grow. UNCP seeks a provider with the skills and flexibility to help UNCP:

evaluate the marketplace for OAPs,

market new and existing OAPs,

recruit students to new and existing OAPs,

support the conversion from OAP admit to enrolled student,

and help build course carousels for OAPs.

UNCP's program portfolio relevant to this solicitation is comprised of the following:

Master of School Administration (MSA)

MSA Certificate

MSA Certificate in Instructional Coaching

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

MBA Certificates (forthcoming)

Elementary Education (MAT and MAEd)

Special Education (MAT)

Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA)

The Selected Vendor will provide, at minimum, the services outlined herein.

1.1 CONTRACT TERM

The Contract shall have an initial term of three (3) years, beginning on the date of final Contract execution (the "Effective Date"). The Vendor shall begin work under the Contract within ten (10) 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 seven (7) additional one-year terms. The State will give the Vendor written notice of its intent to exercise each option no later than thirty (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.

GENERAL INFORMATION

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.

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 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.

RFP SCHEDULE

The table below shows the intended schedule for this RFP. The State will make every effort to adhere to this schedule.

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 by the date and time specified above. Vendors should enter "RFP # 71-Q2026-01 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:

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), , 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.

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 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.

[eVP]

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, the Department may release an unredacted version if a record request is received.

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.

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:

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.

Title Page: Include the company name, address, phone number and authorized representative along with the Proposal Number.

Completed and signed version of all EXECUTION PAGES, along with the body of the RFP.

Signed receipt pages of any addenda released in conjunction with this RFP, if required to be returned.

Vendor's Proposal addressing all Specifications of this RFP.

Completed version of ATTACHMENT A: COST PROPOSAL

Completed version of ATTACHMENT D: HUB SUPPLEMENTAL VENDOR INFORMATION

Completed version of ATTACHMENT E: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM

Completed version of ATTACHMENT F: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR

Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT G: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

ALTERNATE PROPOSALS

Unless provided otherwise in this RFP, Vendor may submit alternate proposals for comparable goods, various methods or levels of services, or that propose different options. Alternate proposals must specifically identify the RFP requirements and advantages addressed by the alternate proposal.

Any alternate proposal, in addition to the marking described above, must be clearly marked with the legend: "Alternate Proposal #71-Q2026-01 [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.

2.8 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.

METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

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.

The State reserves the right to waive any minor informality or technicality in proposals received.

CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION

While this RFP is under evaluation, the responding Vendor, including any subcontractors and suppliers, is prohibited from engaging in conversations intended to influence the outcome of the evaluation. See Paragraph 29 of the Instructions to Vendors entitled COMMUNICTIONS BY VENDORS.

Each Vendor submitting a proposal to this RFP, including its employees, agents, subcontractors, suppliers, subsidiaries and affiliates, is prohibited from having any communications with any person inside or outside the using agency; issuing agency; other government agency office or body (including the procurement lead named above, any department secretary, agency head, members of the General Assembly and Governor's office); or private entity, if the communication refers to the content of Vendor's proposal or qualifications, the content of another Vendor's proposal, another Vendor's qualifications or ability to perform a resulting contract, and/or the transmittal of any other communication of information that could be reasonably considered to have the effect of directly or indirectly influencing the evaluation of proposals, the award of a contract, or both.

Any Vendor not in compliance with this provision shall be disqualified from evaluation and award. A Vendor's proposal may be disqualified if its subcontractor and/or supplier engage in any of the foregoing communications during the time that the procurement is active (i.e., the issuance date of the procurement until the date of contract award or cancellation of the procurement). Only those discussions, communications or transmittals of information authorized or initiated by the issuing agency for this RFP or inquiries directed to the procurement lead named in this RFP regarding requirements of the RFP (prior to proposal submission) or the status of the award (after submission) are excepted from this provision.

PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

Only responsive submissions will be evaluated.

The State will conduct a One-Step evaluation of Proposals:

Proposals will be received according to the method stated in the Proposal Submittal Section above.

All proposals must be received by the issuing agency not later than the date and time specified in the RFP SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum. Vendors are cautioned that this is a request for offers, not an offer or request to contract, and the State reserves the unqualified right to reject any and all offers at any time if such rejection is deemed to be in the best interest of the State.

At the date and time provided in the RFP SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum, the proposal from each responding Vendor will be opened publicly and all offers (except those that have been previously withdrawn, or voided bids) will be announced. The tabulation shall be made public at the time it is created. When negotiations after receipt of bids are authorized pursuant to G.S. 143-49 and 01 NCAC 05B.0503, only the names of offerors and the Goods and Services offered shall be tabulated at the time of opening. If negotiation is anticipated, cost and price shall become available for public inspection at the time of the award. Interested parties are cautioned that these costs and their components are subject to further evaluation for completeness and correctness and therefore may not be an exact indicator of a Vendor's pricing position.

At their option, the evaluators may request oral presentations or discussions with any or all Vendors for clarification or to amplify the materials presented in any part of the proposal. Vendors are cautioned, however, that the evaluators are not required to request presentations or other clarification-and often do not. Therefore, all proposals should be complete and reflect the most favorable terms available from the Vendor.

Upon completion of the evaluation process, the State will make award(s) based on the evaluation and post the award(s) to the State's eVP website under the RFP number for this solicitation. Award of a Contract to one Vendor does not mean that the other proposals lacked merit, but that, all factors considered, the selected proposal was deemed most advantageous and represented the best value to the State.

The State reserves the right to negotiate with one or more vendors, or to reject all original offers and negotiate with one or more sources of supply that may be capable of satisfying the requirement, and in either case to require Vendor to submit a Best and Final Offer (BAFO) based on discussions and negotiations with the State.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

In addition to the general criteria in G.S. 143-52 which may or may not be relevant to this RFP, all qualified proposals will be evaluated, and award made based on considering the following criteria, to result in an award most advantageous to the State:

BEST VALUE: "Best Value" procurement methods are authorized by N.C.G.S. 143-135.9 and 143B-1350(h). The award decision is made based on multiple factors, including: total cost of ownership, meaning the cost of acquiring, operating, maintaining, and supporting a product or service over its projected lifetime; the evaluated technical merit of the Vendor's offer; the Vendor's past performance; and the evaluated probability of performing the specifications stated in the solicitation on time, with high quality, and in a manner that accomplishes the stated business objectives and maintains industry standards compliance. The intent of "Best Value" procurement is to enable Vendors to offer and the Agency to select the most appropriate solution to meet the business objectives defined in the solicitation and to keep all parties focused on the desired outcome of a procurement.

A ranking method of source selection will be utilized in this procurement using evaluation criteria listed in order of importance in the Evaluation Criteria section below to allow the State to award this RFP to the Vendor(s) providing the Best Value and recognizing that Best Value may result in award other than the lowest price or highest technically qualified offer. By using this method, the overall ranking may be adjusted up or down when considered with, or traded-off against, other non-price factors.

EVALUTION METHOD: Narrative and by consensus of the evaluating committee, explaining the strengths and weaknesses of each proposal and why the recommended awardee(s) provide the best value to the State.

All qualified proposals will be evaluated, and award made based on considering the following criteria listed in descending order of importance, to result in an award most advantageous to the State:

a) Financial Proposal: Vendor presents variable rates based on program needs including differentiating between new and established programs. Incentives, scholarships, sharing of UNCP's incurred expenses (such as LMS fees), and development funds are also of interest.

b) Approach to Services: Includes, but not limited to, the implementation approach, timeline, methodology, completeness of program offered, overall approach to services, flexibility in to select desired services and pay for those individual services as opposed to have to pay for a full suite of services regardless of whether or not we use them. Also considered will be the Vendor's commitment of resource volume and the level of effort required from UNCP to implement and operate program.

c) Experience: Experience of Vendor with programs similar and larger to UNCP, experience of personnel assigned to UNCP's account.

d) Vendor's Acceptance of NC General Contract Terms and UNCP IT Addendum as written.

Presentations

Information obtained during Vendor presentations may be considered in conjunction with the written proposals and other evaluation materials in formulating the University's final evaluation and award recommendation, consistent with the evaluation criteria set forth in the section on Evaluation Criteria.

The University reserves the right to conduct presentations, waive presentations, or limit the number of Vendors invited to present, in accordance with applicable procurement regulations and the best interests of the University.

PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

Vendor shall complete ATTACHMENT F: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR. In addition to any other evaluation criteria identified in this RFP, the State may also consider, for purposes of evaluating proposed or actual contract performance outside of the United States, how that performance may affect the following factors to ensure that any award will be in the best interest of the State:

Total cost to the State

Level of quality provided by the Vendor

Process and performance capability across multiple jurisdictions

Protection of the State's information and intellectual property

Availability of pertinent skills

Ability to understand the State's business requirements and internal operational culture

Particular risk factors such as the security of the State's information technology

Relations with citizens and employees

Contract enforcement jurisdictional issues

INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES

This RFP serves two functions: (1) to advise potential Vendors of the parameters of the solution being sought by the State; and (2) to provide (together with other specified documents) the terms of the Contract resulting from this procurement. The use of phrases such as "will," "shall," "must," and "requirements" are intended to create enforceable contract conditions. In determining whether proposals should be evaluated or rejected, the State will take into consideration the degree to which Vendors have proposed or failed to propose solutions that will satisfy the State's needs as described in the RFP. Except as specifically stated in the RFP, no one requirement shall automatically disqualify a Vendor from consideration. However, failure to comply with any single requirement may result in the State exercising its discretion to reject a proposal in its entirety.

REQUIREMENTS

This Section lists the requirements related to this RFP. By submitting a proposal, the Vendor agrees to meet all stated requirements in this Section as well as any other specifications, requirements, and terms and conditions stated in this RFP. If a Vendor is unclear about a requirement or specification, or believes a change to a requirement would allow for the State to receive a better proposal, the Vendor is urged to submit these items in the form of a question during the question-and-answer period in accordance with the Proposal Questions Section above.

PRICING

Proposal price shall constitute the total cost to the State for complete performance in accordance with the requirements and specifications herein, including all applicable charges for handling, transportation, administrative and other similar fees. Complete ATTACHMENT A: PRICING FORM and include in Vendor's proposal. The pricing provided in ATTACHMENT A, or resulting from any negotiations, is incorporated herein and shall become part of any resulting Contract.

INVOICES MAY NOT BE PAID UNTIL AN INSPECTION HAS OCCURRED AND THE GOODS OR SERVICES ACCEPTED.

4.1.1 Import Tariff Temporary Surcharge

Pricing shall be exclusive of any pending tariffs or temporary tariff surcharge. Vendor may request a temporary tariff surcharge in ATTACHMENT A: PRICING SUBMITTAL WORKBOOK as a charge separate from the contract price. Any temporary tariff surcharge(s) associated with purchases shall be provided by way of a percentage tariff surcharge. All tariff surcharges proposed are intended to be temporary and based on current tariff implications specific to related commodities with evidence of submitted documentation of affected MSRP products. Vendor understands that the agency may request additional justification. Any temporary tariff surcharge percentage will be negotiated and mutually agreed upon. The state is not obligated to accept any proposed import tariff surcharge. Proposed tariff surcharges may be used as a factor for evaluation and award.

FINANCIAL STABILITY

As a condition of contract award, the Vendor must certify that it has the financial capacity to perform and to continue to perform its obligations under the Contract; that Vendor has no constructive or actual knowledge of an actual or potential legal proceeding being brought against Vendor that could materially adversely affect performance of this Contract; and that entering into this Contract is not prohibited by any contract, or order by any court of competent jurisdiction.

Each Vendor shall certify it is financially stable by completing ATTACHMENT G: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION. The State is requiring this certification to minimize potential issues from contracting with a Vendor that is financially unstable. From the date of the Certification to the expiration of the Contract, the Vendor shall notify the State within thirty (30) days of any occurrence or condition that materially alters the truth of any statement made in this Certification. The Contract Manager may require annual recertification of the Vendor's financial stability.

HUB PARTICIPATION

Pursuant to North Carolina General Statute G.S. 143-48, it is State policy to encourage and promote the use of small, minority, physically handicapped, and women contractors in purchasing Goods and Services. As such, this RFP will serve to identify those Vendors that are minority owned or have a strategic plan to support the State's Historically Underutilized Business program by meeting or exceeding the goal of 10% utilization of diverse firms as 1st or 2nd tier subcontractors. Vendor shall complete ATTACHMENT D: HUB SUPPLEMENTAL VENDOR INFORMATION.

VENDOR EXPERIENCE

In its Proposal, Vendor shall demonstrate experience with public and/or private sector clients with similar or greater size and complexity to the State. Vendor shall provide information as to the qualifications and experience of all executive, managerial, legal, and professional personnel to be assigned to this project, including resumes citing experience with similar projects and the responsibilities to be assigned to each person.

REFERENCES

Vendor shall provide at least three (3) references, using ATTACHMENT E: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM, for which it has provided Services of similar size and scope to those proposed herein. References shall not be from the same company or from the soliciting State entity. In addition, Vendor shall provide references for and identify other government contracts it has received, for which your company has provided services of similar size and scope. The State may contact these users to determine whether the Services provided are substantially similar in scope to those proposed herein and whether Vendor's performance has been satisfactory. The information obtained may be considered in the evaluation of the Proposal.

BACKGROUND CHECKS

Any personnel or agent of Vendor performing Services under any Contract arising from this RFP may be required to undergo a background check at the expense of the Vendor, if so requested by the State.

PERSONNEL

Vendor warrants that qualified personnel shall provide Services under this Contract in a professional manner. "Professional manner" means that the personnel performing the Services will possess the skill and competence consistent with the prevailing business standards in the industry. Vendor will serve as the prime contractor under this Contract and shall be responsible for the performance and payment of all subcontractor(s) that may be approved by the State. Names of any third-party Vendors or subcontractors of Vendor may appear for purposes of convenience in Contract documents; and shall not limit Vendor's obligations hereunder. Vendor will retain executive representation for functional and technical expertise as needed in order to incorporate any work by third party subcontractor(s).

Should the Vendor's proposal result in an award, the Vendor shall be required to agree that it will not substitute key personnel assigned to the performance of the Contract without prior written approval by the Contract Lead. Vendor shall further agree that it will notify the Contract Lead of any desired substitution, including the name(s) and references of Vendor's recommended substitute personnel. The State will approve or disapprove the requested substitution in a timely manner. The State may, in its sole discretion, terminate the Services of any person providing Services under this Contract. Upon such termination, the State may request acceptable substitute personnel or terminate the contract Services provided by such personnel.

VENDOR'S REPRESENTATIONS

If Vendor's Proposal results in an award, Vendor agrees that it will not enter any agreement with a third party that may abridge any rights of the State under the Contract. If any Services, deliverables, functions, or responsibilities not specifically described in this solicitation are required for Vendor's proper performance, provision and delivery of the Service and deliverables under a resulting Contract, or are an inherent part of or necessary sub-task included within such Service, they will be deemed to be implied by and included within the scope of the Contract to the same extent and in the same manner as if specifically described in the Contract. Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, Vendor will furnish all of its own necessary management, supervision, labor, facilities, furniture, computer and telecommunications equipment, software, supplies and materials necessary for the Vendor to provide and deliver the Services and/or other Deliverables.

QUESTIONS TO VENDORS

Vendor shall respond to each of the questions listed in 5.3 PROJECT ORGANIZATION AND 5.4 TECHNICAL APPROACH. Responses will be reviewed as part of the evaluation process.

FINANCIAL STABILITY

As a condition of contract award, the Vendor must certify that it has the financial capacity to perform and to continue to perform its obligations under the Contract; that Vendor has no constructive or actual knowledge of an actual or potential legal proceeding being brought against Vendor that could materially adversely affect performance of this Contract; and that entering into this Contract is not prohibited by any contract, or order by any court of competent jurisdiction

Each Vendor shall certify it is financially stable by completing the ATTACHMENT G: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION. The State is requiring this certification to minimize potential performance issues from Contracting with a Vendor that is financially unstable. This Certification shall be deemed continuing, and from the date of the Certification to the expiration of the Contract, the Vendor shall notify the State within thirty (30) days of any occurrence or condition that materially alters the truth of any statement made in this Certification.

AGENCY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS MODIFICATION

A. Default Insurance Coverage from the General Terms and Conditions applicable to this Solicitation:

Small Purchases

Contract value in excess of the Small Purchase threshold, but up to $1,000,000.00

Contract value in excess of $1,000,000.00

Commercial General Liability $1,000,000.00 per occurrence and $2,000,000.00 in aggregate

SUBCONTRACTORS

No portion of the work shall be subcontracted without prior written consent of the State. In the event that the Vendor desires to subcontract some part of the work specified herein, the Vendor shall furnish with their bid the names, qualifications, and experience of their proposed subcontractors. The Vendor shall, however, remain solely and fully liable and responsible for the work done by its subcontractor(s) and shall assure compliance with all the requirements and specifications of the contract.

SECRETARY OF STATE REGISTRATION

Prior to entering into a contract with the State, the awarded Vendor(s) must complete registration with the NC Secretary of State. Upon notification of award, the selected Vendor(s) must furnish evidence of filing within 10 business days. Failure to provide this documentation may result in the disqualification of the Vendor(s) bid from further consideration for the award.

No purchase orders shall be issued prior to confirmation of completed registration with the Secretary of State.

A contract award under the above-referenced solicitation, and the resulting purchase orders, will produce repeated orders and transactions in North Carolina and will constitute "transacting business" in the State, which requires a certificate of authority from the North Carolina Secretary of State as provided in G.S. 55-15-01 (corporations) or 57D-7-01 (LLCs). Please go to: to register.

Vendor registered with the North Carolina Secretary of State: Yes No

SPECIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF WORK

SPECIFICATIONS

UNCP is seeking proposals for OAP Marketing & Recruitment services with the goal of enhancing mature programs, developing new offerings, and recruiting diverse students to enroll in its programs. Vendor success will be measured by meeting enrollment targets for students applied, admitted, and enrolled in OAPs at UNCP. The vendor is expected to support conversion from admitted to enrolled; recruiting admissible students alone will not be seen as success.

UNCP expects Vendor to allocate personnel and digital resources commensurate with the size, scope, and number of programs offered. UNCP envisions a fee structure with variable rates based on program needs including differentiating between new and established programs. Incentives, scholarships and development funds are also of interest. UNCP reserves the right to require Vendor to complete HECVAT or other IT verifications as a condition for contract award.

Requirements: Any information, data, instruments, documents, studies, reports or work product of Vendor concerning this Contract (but not internal working files, drafts, memoranda, and equipment) will become the property of the University during and at the completion or termination of this Contract. All intellectual property provided to the University by Vendor and originating from this Contract will become and remain the property of the University, and Vendor will not, without the written consent and license from the University, use such intellectual property for another commercial purpose. The University will not become the owner, assignee, or licensee of any standard routine, programs, development tools, techniques, interfaces, texts, or other work existing prior to the date of this Contract except as may be specifically agreed in writing. Any such agreement will be an amendment to this Contract. UNCP reserves the right to (a) develop and run its own programs "in-house" at its sole discretion and (b) participate in future UNC System initiatives. Any and all revenue from these programs will not be subject to commission.

SCOPE OF WORK

1. Market Research: Provide ongoing, robust, and technically sound analysis of prospective student markets for newly proposed online programs and existing programs seeking to expand; inform whether programs should be right-sized or sunset.

2. Marketing & Lead Generation: Create messaging and branding aligned with the strategic marketing plan of the University and program-specific attributes to generate quality leads; support conversion from admitted to enrolled student.

3. Recruitment & Enrollment Services: Document contacts with students through a Customer Relationship Management system, qualify student prospects, and direct students to application materials; ensure communication continues beyond acceptance to encourage enrollment.

4. Student and Faculty Support: Offer student and faculty support services as an add-on option with a fee for service; programs not needing these services should not incur a fee.

5. 24/7 Helpdesk and Technical Support: Provide operational procedures and mechanisms for 24/7 student support during recruitment and enrollment.

6. Optional Services: Provide information on other services available that might be of interest to UNCP.

PROJECT ORGANIZATION

Vendor will respond to each of the following questions. Vendors are requested to keep responses straightforward and to the point and should not include generic marketing materials. Responses will be reviewed as part of the evaluation process. Proposals that do not include the requested information may be deemed nonresponsive and may be subject to rejection.

I. Profile and Experience of Vendor with programs similar and larger to UNCP, experience of personnel assigned to UNCP's account, References:

Company Profile(s): Describe the proposing organization including size, areas of specialization and expertise, client base and any other pertinent information in such a manner that the evaluation committee may reasonably formulate a determination about the stability and strengths of the proposing organization. Include information about any sub-contractors, if any, that will be used.

What experience or areas of strength does your company have in higher education marketing (national and international) that would lead to strong enrollment growth for the University?

Company Personnel: State the name, the title or position, and telephone number of the individuals who would have primary responsibility for the project resulting from this RFP. Disclose who within the firm will have prime responsibility and final authority for the work under this contract. Attach a current resume for each individual.

Experience: Indicate the experience the Vendor has and describe any additional experience that would substantiate and enhance the qualifications of the respondent in regard to the performance of a contract resulting from this solicitation.

Provide a list of at least three (3) contracts of a size and scope similar to the work described herein that respondent has performed during the last three years. Include a brief description of the project, the contract period, the name of contact person(s) directly involved in the project along with an email addresses and phone numbers.

TECHNICAL APPROACH

Vendor will respond to each of the following questions. Vendors are requested to keep responses straightforward and to the point and should not include generic marketing materials. Responses will be reviewed as part of the evaluation process. Proposals that do not include the requested information may be deemed nonresponsive and may be subject to rejection.

II. Approach to Services, Implementation, Timeline, Methodology, Completeness of Program Offered:

Methodology, Process, Systems and Integrations: Describe the overall methods and processes that you would use to complete the tasks and objectives outlined. Include details about systems that will be used, integrations that would be required, and integration plan (if any). Include information of resources that you will be committing to the implementation as well as ongoing. Also, identity roles and level of effort UNCP will need to provide.

Market Research: Describe your approach to robust and technically sound analysis of prospective student markets for newly proposed online programs, as well as existing programs that are seeking to expand, and how the market research informs decisions (i.e.: if programs should be right-sized or even sunset).

If your company utilizes a competitive market analysis, please describe its purpose, how it is presented to clients, and how it is used to optimize services.

Marketing and Lead Generation: Describe the strategies and methods used in messaging and branding. As noted previously, vendor is expected to recruit not just admissible students but to support conversion from admitted to enrolled student.

How does your company create messaging and branding aligned with the strategic marketing plan of the University and programspecific attributes?

Describe how your marketing materials and messaging appeals to and supports diverse applicants.

How do you market to niche programs?

What type of marketing services would your company provide for the University's online programs to generate quality leads?

Does your company engage in cross selling leads to other partners without express consent from the University at the time of the cross-selling?

Recruitment and Enrollment Services:

Describe how contacts with students are substantively documented with your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system and how you ensure data is secure and accurate.

What procedures exist to ensure that prospective students receive complete and accurate counsel about their selected online program, technical requirements, proctoring requirements, admission requirements, tuition and fees, and student support services available at the University?

Students often disconnect between admission and first term enrollment. Describe how you communicate with students after acceptance to encourage enrollment.

What kinds of enrollment information will your company be able to pass to and/or from the University's Student Information System and Learning Management System?

Student and Faculty Support:

As noted in 5.0, some OAPs at UNCP are interested in student and faculty support services while other programs do not need this service. Describe the service model options and flexibility of the program being offered.

Describe the engagement and retention processes and operational procedures that are used at the company to ensure student success. Provide retention data and graduation rates for online programs supported at client institutions.

What services does the company provide to help the University with its career services for online students?

What procedures/mechanisms are in place for protection and security of students' educational records and data? The company must comply with all applicable State regulations and laws, Federal regulations and laws (e.g., FERPA) and University policies and standards regarding the protection and security of student educational records.

Describe the faculty support provided in instructional design, course development, and best practices in online teaching. Provide details of staff experience, qualifications, and times of availability for faculty support.

Will the University be able to utilize its existing Learning Management System?

24/7 Helpdesk and Technical Support:

What are the operational procedures and mechanisms used to provide 24/7 student support?

Regarding the levels of student support, describe the various tiers available and escalation procedures.

Other:

Can your company perform all services requested by the University through inhouse resources? If not, provide details about sub-contractors that will be needed to fulfill the contract.

What process does your company follow to determine which services to provide for the University?

What process or methodology does your company use to assist the University with determining possible online program readiness or what the institution may need to change in order to successfully scale their online programs?

How can your company ensure that it does not have other contracted partner universities competing with each other for the same students and the same degree programs? Please share existing competing programs and institutions that are currently clients.

Timeline: Provide a performance timeline based on the information presented in the Scope of Work that includes all segments of your proposed work. Assume a go-live date of October 1, 2026.

Compliance and willingness to accept Terms & Conditions:

Provide Vendor's edited contract form, incorporating NC General Contract Terms and Conditions, UNCP IT Services and Systems terms, as applicable, and UNCP's RFP document. (See Section 2.3 and ATTACHMENT C: TERMS & CONDITIONS)

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

All Contract Administration requirements are conditioned on an award resulting from this solicitation. This information is provided for the Vendor's planning purposes.

6.1 CONTRACT MANAGER

The Vendor will be required to designate and make a contract manager available to the State. The contract manager will be the State's point of contact for contract related issues and issues concerning performance, and progress review.

6.2 INVOICES

Vendor shall invoice the Procurement Entity. The standard format for invoicing shall be Single Invoices meaning that the Vendor shall provide the Procurement Entity with an invoice for each order. Invoices shall include detailed information to allow Procurement Entity to verify pricing at point of receipt matches the correct price from the original date of order. The following fields shall be included on all invoices, as relevant:

Vendor's Billing Address, Customer Account Number, NC Contract Number, Order Date, Buyer's Order Number, Manufacturer Part Numbers, Vendor Part Numbers, Item Descriptions, Price, Quantity, and Unit of Measure.

INVOICES MAY NOT BE PAID UNTIL A REVIEW HAS OCCURRED AND THE SERVICES ACCEPTED

6.3 POST AWARD BUSINESS REVIEW MEETINGS

At the request of the State, the vendor will be required to meet periodically with the State for Business Review meetings. The purpose of these meetings will be to review project progress reports, address outstanding issues, review problem resolution, provide direction, evaluate continuous improvement and cost saving ideas, and discuss any other pertinent topics.

6.4 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The State encourages the Vendor to identify opportunities to reduce the total cost the State. A continuous improvement effort consists of various ways to enhance business efficiencies as performance progresses.

6.5 PERIODIC STATUS REPORTS

The Vendor shall be required to provide monthly Management Reports. The reports shall include, at a minimum, information concerning the work accomplished during the reporting period, work to be accomplished during the subsequent reporting period; problems, real or anticipated, and notification of any significant deviation from previously agreed upon work plans and schedules. These reports shall be well organized and easy to read. The Vendor shall submit these reports electronically using the format required by the Procurement Entity. The Vendor shall submit the reports in a timely manner and on a regular schedule as agreed by the parties.

6.6 ACCEPTANCE OF WORK

Performance of the work and/or delivery of Goods shall be conducted and completed at least in accordance with the Contract requirements and recognized and customarily accepted industry practices. Performance shall be considered complete when the Services or Goods are approved as acceptable by the Contract Manager.

Acceptance of Vendor's work product shall be based on the following criteria:

Reaching the agreed upon enrollment targets for students applied, admitted, and enrolled in the program.

Completeness of tasks assigned.

Quality and accuracy of work.

Adherence to (or the exceeding of) contract and bid specifications, and:

Performance to the full satisfaction of Contract Administrator.

The State shall have the obligation to notify Vendor, in writing ten (10) calendar days following completion of such work or delivery of a deliverable described in the Contract that it is not acceptable. The notice shall specify in reasonable detail the reason(s) it is unacceptable. Acceptance by the State shall not be unreasonably withheld; but may be conditioned or delayed as required for reasonable review, evaluation, installation, or testing, as applicable to the work or deliverable. Final acceptance is expressly conditioned upon completion of all applicable assessment procedures. Should the work or deliverables fail to meet any specifications, acceptance criteria or otherwise fail to conform to the Contract, the State may exercise any and all rights hereunder, including, for Goods deliverables, such rights provided by the Uniform Commercial Code, as adopted in North Carolina.

6.7 FAITHFUL PERFORMANCE

Any Contract may include terms ensuring a Vendor's performance such as: (1) liquidated damages; (2) a percentage of the Contract value held as a retainage; (3) withholding final payment contingent on acceptance of the final deliverable; and (4) any other provision that assures performance of the Vendor.

6.8 TRANSITION ASSISTANCE

If a Contract results from this solicitation, and the Contract is not renewed at the end of the last active term, or is canceled prior to its expiration, for any reason, Vendor shall provide transition assistance to the State, at the option of the State, for up to six (6) months to allow for the expired or canceled portion of the Services to continue without interruption or adverse effect, and to facilitate the orderly transfer of such Services to the State or its designees. If the State exercises this option, the Parties agree that such transition assistance shall be governed by the terms and conditions of the Contract (notwithstanding this expiration or cancellation), except for those Contract terms or conditions that do not reasonably apply to such transition assistance. The State shall agree to pay Vendor for any resources utilized in performing such transition assistance at the most current rates provided by the Contract for performance of the Services or other resources utilized.

6.9 DISPUTE RESOLUTION

During the performance of the Contract, the parties agree that it is in their mutual interest to resolve disputes informally. Any claims by the Vendor shall be submitted in writing to the State's Contract Manager for resolution. Any claims by the State shall be submitted in writing to the Vendor's Project Manager for resolution. The Parties shall agree to negotiate in good faith and use all reasonable efforts to resolve such dispute(s).

During the time the Parties are attempting to resolve any dispute, each shall proceed diligently to perform their respective duties and responsibilities under this Contract. The Parties will agree on a reasonable amount of time to resolve a dispute. If a dispute cannot be resolved between the Parties within the agreed upon period, either Party may elect to exercise any other remedies available under the Contract, or at law. This provision, when agreed in the Contract, shall not constitute an agreement by either party to mediate or arbitrate any dispute.

6.10 CONTRACT CHANGES

Contract changes, if any, over the life of the Contract shall be implemented by contract amendments agreed to in writing by the State and Vendor.

THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

ATTACHMENTS

**IMPORTANT NOTICE**

RETURN THE REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS WITH YOUR RESPONSE

FOLLOW THE LINKS TO ACCESS EACH ATTACHMENT

ATTACHMENT A: COST PROPOSAL

FINANCIAL PROPOSAL --Complete and return the Pricing associated with this RFP. Additional lines or pages may be added for clarification.

*UNCP charges base tuition for all graduate programs. Some programs additionally charge a tuition

differential. These rates can be found here:

ATTACHMENT B: INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

The Instructions to Vendors, which are incorporated herein by this reference, may be found here:

ATTACHMENT C: NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS

The North Carolina General Terms and Conditions, which are incorporated herein by this reference, may be found here:

https://www.doa.nc.gov/north-carolina-general-terms-and-conditions-5-2025/open

ATTACHMENT D: HUB SUPPLEMENTAL VENDOR INFORMATION

Complete and return the Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) Vendor Information form, which can be found at the following link:

https://www.doa.nc.gov/pandc/onlineforms/pc-hub-supplemental-vendor-information--pdf/open

ATTACHMENT E: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM

Complete and return the Customer Reference Form, which can be found at the following link:

ATTACHMENT F: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR

Complete and return the Location of Workers Utilized by Vendor, which can be found at the following link:

ATTACHMENT G: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

Complete, sign, and return the Certification of Financial Condition, which can be found at the following link:

*** Failure to Return the Required Attachments May Eliminate

Your Response from Further Consideration ***