The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) is seeking proposals for a comprehensive, web-based Grants Management System (GMS) to administer subgrants throughout the entire grant process. The system must be secure, scalable, and support the full lifecycle of federal and state grants, from application through closeout. Key functionalities include grant application and award management, subrecipient and grantee management, programmatic monitoring and reporting, fiscal management and grant reimbursements, compliance and audit support, workflow and user roles, reporting and data management, document management, and integration capabilities. The contract term will be up to 5 years. Proposals must be submitted electronically by June 17th, 2026, at 2:00 PM CST. All relevant information, including addenda and amendments, will be posted on the NDE and DAS websites. Bidders must comply with all Nebraska registration requirements and may be required to certify their compliance. The NDE reserves the right to reject any or all proposals. The resulting contract will be posted online and is subject to public record laws. Bidders are responsible for all costs incurred in preparing their response.
The vendor start date for the contract is flexible, ranging from November 1st, 2026, to July 1st, 2027. The full delivery of services is expected by July 1, 2027, as indicated in the work plan. The bid opening date is June 17th, 2026.
The bid notice states that payment will be made in compliance with the Nebraska Prompt Payment Act. NDE has forty-five (45) calendar days to pay after a valid and accurate invoice is received. Retainage of ten percent (10%) may be withheld from each payment and will be payable upon successful completion of the project.
The bid notice specifies that the vendor warrants that its services will be performed by competent personnel and will be of professional quality consistent with generally accepted industry standards. For any breach of this warranty, the vendor shall, for a period of ninety (90) days from performance of the service, perform the services again at no cost to NDE, or reimburse NDE all fees paid for unsatisfactory services.
The bid notice indicates that solicitation responses will be evaluated based on a comprehensive evaluation of corporate overview, technical response, and cost sheet. NDE will conduct a fair, impartial, and comprehensive evaluation in accordance with the criteria set forth, which may include past experiences, references, vendor performance, and other relevant information.
All bidders must be authorized to transact business in the state of Nebraska and comply with all Nebraska Secretary of State registration requirements. The bidder must also be able to demonstrate the capability, capacity, and skill to deliver and implement the system meeting the solicitation's requirements.
Violation of the terms and conditions may result in rejection of a bidder's solicitation response, withdrawal of the intent to award or award, negative documentation regarding vendor performance, termination of the contract, legal action, and suspension or debarment from further bidding with the state.
Any protests must be filed by a bidder within ten (10) business days after the intent to award decision is posted to the internet.
