Student Banking Services Program

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
East Carolina University
Request for Proposal #: 56-2502BTRFP
STUDENT BANKING SERVICES PROGRAM
Date of Issue: April 20, 2026
Proposal Opening Date: May 13, 2026 (Wednesday)
At 2:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Direct all inquiries concerning this RFP to:
Bryan Tuten
Associate Director, Materials Management Department
Email: tutenb@ecu.edu
Phone: (252) 328-6289 or (252) 328-6434

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
Request for Proposal #
56-2603BTRFP
______________________________________________________
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 https://vendor.ncgov.com/vendor/login
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Proposal Number: 56-2603BTRFP Vendor: __________________________________________
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
East Carolina University
Refer ALL Inquiries regarding this RFP to: Request for Proposal #: 56-2603BTRFP
Bryan Tuten, Associate Director Proposals will be publicly opened: May 13, 2026, at 2:00 PM (ET)
ECU Department of Materials Management
Email: tutenb@ecu.edu
Using Agency: East Carolina University Commodity No. and Description: 94625 Banking Related Services
Requisition No.: N/A (University Contract)
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.
COMPLETE/FORMAL NAME OF VENDOR:
STREET ADDRESS: P.O. BOX: ZIP:
CITY & STATE & ZIP: TELEPHONE NUMBER: TOLL FREE TEL. NO:
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: FAX NUMBER:
VENDOR'S AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE*: DATE: EMAIL:
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Proposal Number: 56-2603BTRFP Vendor: __________________________________________
VALIDITY PERIOD
Offer shall be valid for at least sixty 60 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 East Carolina University)
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Proposal Number: 56-2603BTRFP Vendor: __________________________________________
Contents
1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND ............................................................................................. 5
1.1 CONTRACT TERM ....................................................................................................................... 5
2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION ....................................................................................................... 5
2.1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENT ............................................................................. 5
2.2 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS ............................... 5
2.3 RFP SCHEDULE ..................................................................................................................... 6
2.4 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS ....................................................................................................... 6
2.5 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL ....................................................................................................... 6
2.6 PROPOSAL CONTENTS ........................................................................................................ 7
2.7 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................ 7
3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS ....................................... 7
3.1 METHOD OF AWARD ............................................................................................................. 7
3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION......... 8
3.3 PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS ................................................................................... 8
3.4 EVALUATION CRITERIA ........................................................................................................ 9
3.5 PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES ............................................................... 9
3.6 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES .................................................................... 9
4.0 REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................................................... 10
4.1 PRICING ................................................................................................................................ 10
4.2 INVOICES .............................................................................................................................. 10
4.3 FINANCIAL STABILITY ........................................................................................................ 10
4.4 HUB PARTICIPATION .......................................................................................................... 10
4.5 VENDOR EXPERIENCE ........................................................................................................ 11
4.6 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 11
4.7 BACKGROUND CHECKS ..................................................................................................... 11
4.8 PERSONNEL ......................................................................................................................... 11
4.9 VENDOR'S REPRESENTATIONS ........................................................................................ 11
4.10 AGENCY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS MODIFICATION ................................................. 11
5.0 SPECIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF WORK .......................................................................... 12
5.1 PROJECT ORGANIZATION .................................................................................................. 12
5.2 TECHNICAL APPROACH ..................................................................................................... 13
6.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION............................................................................................. 13
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Proposal Number: 56-2603BTRFP Vendor: __________________________________________
6.1 CONTRACT MANAGER ............................................................................................................. 13
6.2 POST AWARD PROJECT REVIEW/CONTRACT PERFORMANCE MEETINGS ....................... 13
6.3 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT ................................................................................................. 13
6.4 PERIODIC STATUS REPORTS .................................................................................................. 13
6.5 ACCEPTANCE OF WORK .......................................................................................................... 13
6.6 FAITHFUL PERFORMANCE ...................................................................................................... 14
6.7 TRANSITION ASSISTANCE ....................................................................................................... 14
6.8 DISPUTE RESOLUTION ............................................................................................................. 14
6.9 CONTRACT CHANGES .............................................................................................................. 14
7.0 ATTACHMENTS ..................................................................................................................... 15
ATTACHMENT A: PRICING/COST PROPOSAL ............................................................................... 15
ATTACHMENT B: INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS .......................................................................... 16
ATTACHMENT C: NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS ................................... 16
ATTACHMENT D: HUB SUPPLEMENTAL VENDOR INFORMATION .............................................. 16
ATTACHMENT E: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM ....................................................................... 16
ATTACHMENT F: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR ........................................... 16
ATTACHMENT G: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION ................................................... 16
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Proposal Number: 56-2603BTRFP Vendor: __________________________________________
1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND
Request for Proposals (RFP) are issued to prospective vendors for banking related services that are targeted toward student
related initiatives at East Carolina University (hereinafter referred to as ECU or University). The primary objective is to partner
with a vendor who can provide financial support and additional resources for ECU's existing Financial Wellness programming,
which includes services to students, faculty, staff, and alumni, as well as educational workshops and financial themed
programming. More information can be located on the ECU website at https://studentaffairs.ecu.edu/financialwellness/.
Proposals shall be submitted in accordance with the terms and conditions of this RFP and any addenda issued hereto. The intent
of this solicitation is to award an Agency Contract for East Carolina University.
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"),
or July 1, 2026, whichever date is later. At the end of the Contract's initial term, the State/ECU 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 ninety (90) days before the end of the Contract's
then-current term. East Carolina University reserves the right to cancel this contract at any time if the contracted vendor does
not meet ECU's requirements, specifications, and/or standards. A thirty (30) day written cancellation notice should be provided.
In addition, East Carolina University reserves the right to extend a contract term for a period of up to 180 days in 90-day-or-less
increments. Anticipated contract start date is July 1, 2026.
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 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.
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Proposal Number: 56-2603BTRFP Vendor: __________________________________________
2.3 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 ECU 4/20/26 Monday
Submit Written Questions Vendor 4/28/26 Tuesday by 5:00 PM (Eastern Time/ET)
Provide Response to Questions ECU 5/5/26 Tuesday by 5:00 PM (Eastern Time/ET)
Submit Proposals Vendor 5/13/26 Wednesday by 2:00 PM (Eastern Time/ET)
Contract Award ECU 6/15/26 (estimated)
Contract Effective Date ECU 7/1/26 (estimated)
2.4 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 Bryan Tuten at tutenb@ecu.edu by the date and time specified above. Vendors should enter
"RFP # 56-2603BTRFP 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, 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.
2.5 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 bid 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.
All proposal responses shall be submitted electronically via the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP). NO EXCEPTIONS! 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.
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Proposal Number: 56-2603BTRFP Vendor: __________________________________________
The following label must be affixed to the file: (1) Vendor name; (2) the RFP number; (3) the due date; and (4) the words "Volume
Three Technical and Cost Proposal- Redacted Copy".
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 IPS (or its bid solicitation) 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.
2.6 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.
b) Title Page: Include the company name, address, phone number and authorized representative along with the Proposal
Number.
c) Completed and signed version of all EXECUTION PAGES, along with the body of the RFP.
d) Signed receipt pages of any addenda released in conjunction with this RFP, if required to be returned.
e) Vendor's Proposal addressing all Specifications and/or Scope of Work of this RFP.
f) Completed version of ATTACHMENT A: PRICING PROPOSAL
g) Completed version of ATTACHMENT D: HUB SUPPLEMENTAL VENDOR INFORMATION
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
2.7 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.
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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Proposal Number: 56-2603BTRFP Vendor: __________________________________________
The State reserves the right to waive any minor informality or technicality in proposals received.
3.2 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
COMMUNICATIONS 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 purchaser 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 purchaser 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.
3.3 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 tabulated. The tabulation shall be made public at the time it is created. When negotiations after receipt of bids is
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 IPS
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.
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