Project Information

Bid Title

HR Research and Advisory Services.

Issuing Agency

State Government of Mississippi

Location

Mississippi

Published Date

May 29, 2026

Closing Date

Jun 29, 2026

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Ref. #

1301-26-R-IFBD-00067-V02

Original Source

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Project Description

Procurement Details

Smart Number	1301-26-R-IFBD-00067-V02	Advertised Date	05/29/2026 12:00 PM
RFx #	3160008077	Submission Date	06/29/2026 4:00 PM
RFx Status	Open	Major Procurement Category	PERSONNEL SERVICES NON-IT
RFx Opening Date	06/29/2026 4:00 PM	Sub Procurement Category	PERSONNEL SERVICE - NON-TECHNOLOGY
RFx Type	Invitation for Bid
Agency	MS DEPT OF HEALTH
RFx Description	Soliciting sealed bids from qualified Bidders to provide HR Research and Advisory Services. Human Research and Advisory membership is being sought to furnish the Human Resources (HR) department with essential research, diagnostics, and expert advisory sup

Contact Information

Name	Patricia Youngblood	Email	PATRICIA.YOUNGBLOOD@MSDH.MS.GOV
Phone	6013593499	Fax

RFx Items

PRODUCT CATEGORY	PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
91866	Serv Consult HR

Awarded

VENDOR NAME

VENDOR NUMBER

AWARD DATE

AWARD AMOUNT

FUNDING SOURCE

Bid Attachments

Attachments Business Associate Agreement
Attachments HR Research and Advisory Services-IFB

Attachment Preview

INVITATION FOR BIDS

IFB RFx Number: 3160008077

HR Research and Advisory Services

Issue Date: May 29, 2026

CLOSING TIME AND DATE

Bids must be received before:

4:00 pm CST, June 29, 2026

BID COORDINATOR

Patricia Youngblood

Telephone: (601) 576-7954

E-mail: procurement@msdh.ms.gov

1.

Introduction and Overview

1.1.

Purpose and Goals

The Mississippi State Department of Health (hereinafter “MSDH” or “Agency”) has issued this solicitation for

the purpose of soliciting sealed bids from qualified Bidders to provide HR Research and Advisory Services.

Human Research and Advisory membership is being sought to furnish the Human Resources (HR) department

with essential research, diagnostics, and expert advisory support aimed at enhancing overall performance and

reinforcing a business-aligned HR strategy. This membership will encompass one Executive Counselor position,

one Advisory position, and four Team positions. It will provide access to a dedicated Executive Counselor,

including annual strategy sessions, advisory-level support, web-based research resources, and academies.

Additionally, it will offer standard diagnostic tools and opportunities for participation in peer forums.

A copy of this IFB, including all appendices and attachments, and any subsequent amendments, including the

Question-and-Answer amendment, if issued, will be posted to the MSDH OpenGov Procurement portal at

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/msdh under the “Active ” projects list. It is the responsibility of all

interested Bidders to monitor the website for updates regarding this procurement.

Before the award of any contract, the Bidder will be required to document to MSDH that it has the necessary

capabilities to provide the core services specified in this IFB. The Bidder may also be required to provide

additional client references, as well as related project experience detail in order to satisfy MSDH that the Bidder

is qualified. MSDH may make reasonable investigations, as it deems necessary and proper, to determine the

ability of the Bidder to perform the work, and the Bidder shall be required to furnish to MSDH all information

that may be requested for this purpose. MSDH reserves the right to reject any bid if the Bidder fails to provide

the requested information and/or fails to satisfy MSDH that the Bidder is properly qualified to carry out the

obligations of the contract and to complete the work described in this IFB.

1.2.

Bid Submission Period

Bids must be submitted electronically through the MSDH OpenGov Procurement portal no later than 4:00 pm

Central Standard Time (CST), Monday, June 29, 2026. Timely submission of the bid package is the responsibility

of the Bidder. Any bid received after the deadline will be considered late and will be rejected and will not be

considered for award. The Bidder shall be notified as soon as practicable if their bid was rejected and the reason

for such rejection.

Failure to submit a bid on the bid form provided will be considered cause for rejection of the bid. Modifications

or additions to any portion of the bid document may be cause for rejection of the bid. The MSDH reserves the

right to decide, on a case-by-case basis, whether to reject a bid with modifications or additions as non-

responsive. MSDH may request the Bidder to withdraw or modify non-responsive portions that do not affect

the service’s quality, quantity, price or delivery.

1.3.

Important Dates

Invitation for Bid Issue Date:

Request for Reconsideration of the Terms of

the Solicitation:

Questions Submission Deadline:

Anticipated Posting of Written Answers to

Questions:

May 29, 2026

June 3, 2026

June 8, 2026, 4:00pm

June 11, 2026, 4:00pm

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Bid Package Submission Deadline: June 29, 2026, 4:00pm

Anticipated Bid Opening: 6/29/2026 at 4:00 pm

Anticipated Date of Notice of Intent to

Award:

June 30, 2026

Request for Reconsideration of the Intent to

Award:

July 3, 2026

NOTE: Adjustments to the schedule may be made as deemed necessary by MSDH.

The provisional dates for the performance are scheduled from August 6, 2026, to June 30, 2028.

1.4.

Questions and Answers

Questions must be submitted electronically through the MSDH OpenGov Procurement portal through the

"Question & Answer" tab of this project, (RFX 3160008077) - HR Research and Advisory Services. Questions must

be submitted before 4:00 pm, on Monday, June 8, 2026, to ensure a response by MSDH. Responses to questions

will be posted to the project page on the MSDH OpenGov Procurement portal at

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/msdh. Questions received after the due date and time of questions

may be considered for response, although there is no guarantee as to if or when a response will be provided. It

is the Bidder’s sole responsibility to regularly monitor the website for amendments and/or announcements

concerning this IFB.

1.5.

Acknowledgment of Amendments

Should an amendment to the IFB be issued, it will be posted on the Procurement Portal and the MSDH OpenGov

Procurement Portal in a manner that all bidders will be able to view. Bidders shall acknowledge receipt of any

amendment to the IFB by electronically signing the amendment in the MSDH OpenGov Procurement Portal, or

by email.

Should any bidder fail to submit all necessary acknowledgement(s) with its bid, the Agency shall have the sole

discretion as to whether to request a bidder to submit the required acknowledgement(s) after the bid

submission deadline but prior to issuance of the Notice of Intent to Award. The Agency shall exercise that

discretion in a manner that is fair to all bidders. Any bidder who does not provide the Agency

acknowledgement(s) of every amendment issued may be deemed non-responsive and not eligible for award.

Bidders are responsible for monitoring both websites for any updates or amendments to the IFB. Each Bidder

shall submit a written acknowledgment of every amendment to the MSDH on or before the submission deadline.

1.6.

Expenses Incurred in the Procurement Process

All parties participating in the procurement process in regard to this IFB shall bear their own costs of

participation, pursuant to Section 1.4.4 of the OPSCR Rules and Regulations. All costs incurred by the Bidder in

preparing and delivering its bid, making presentations, and any subsequent time and travel to meet with MSDH

regarding its bid shall be borne exclusively at the Bidder’s expense.

1.7.

Cancellation of Solicitation or Rejection of Individual Bids

At MSDH’s sole discretion, an IFB may be canceled or any or all responses to the solicitation may be rejected, in

whole or in part, when MSDH determines that it is in the Agency’s best interest to do so.

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1.8.

Registration with Mississippi Secretary of State

By submitting a bid, the Bidder certifies that it is registered to do business in the State of Mississippi as

prescribed by Mississippi law and the Mississippi Secretary of State or, if not already registered, that it will do

so within five (5) business days of being offered an award. Sole proprietors are not required to register with the

Secretary of State.

1.9.

Debarment

By submitting a bid, the Bidder certifies that it is not currently debarred from submitting bids for contracts issued

by any political subdivision or agency of the State of Mississippi or Federal government and that it is not an

agent of a person or entity that is currently debarred from submitting bids for contracts issued by any political

subdivision or agency of the State of Mississippi.

1.10. Right to Consider Historical Information

MSDH reserves the right to consider historical information regarding the Bidder, whether gained from the

Bidder’s bid, conferences with the Bidder, references, or any other source during the evaluation process. This

may include, but is not limited to, information from any state or federal regulatory entity.

1.11. State Approval

It is understood that this contract may require approval by the PPRB. If required and if this contract is not

approved by PPRB and/or OPSCR, it is void and no payment shall be made hereunder.

1.12. Property Rights

Property rights do not inure to any Bidder until such time as services have been provided under a legally

executed contract. No party responding to this IFB has a legitimate claim of entitlement to be awarded a

contract or to the provision of work thereunder. MSDH is under no obligation to award a contract and may

terminate a legally executed contract at any time.

1.13. Contract Rights

Contract rights do not vest in any party until a contract is legally executed. MSDH is under no obligation to award

a contract following issuance of this IFB.

1.14. Bids as Public Record

If a redacted copy is not submitted, MSDH shall consider the entire Bid to be public record. The redacted copy

should identify which section or information has been redacted and the Bidder should provide the specific

statutory authority for the exemption. Per Mississippi Code Annotated §25-61-9(7), the type of service to be

provided, the price to be paid and the term of the contract cannot be deemed confidential.

The redacted copy shall be considered public record and immediately released, without notification of the

Bidder, pursuant to any request under the Mississippi Public Records Act, Miss. Code Ann. §§25-61-1 et seq. and

Miss. Code Ann. §79-23-1. Redacted copies shall also be used/released for any reason deemed necessary by

MSDH, including, but not limited to, submission to the PPRB, posting to the Transparency Mississippi website,

etc.

All documentation submitted in response to this IFB and any subsequent requests for information pertaining to

this IFB shall become the property of MSDH and will not be returned to the Bidder.

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All information requested is considered important. Failure to provide all requested information and in the

required format may result in disqualification of the Bid. MSDH has no obligation to locate or acknowledge any

information in the bid that is not presented under the appropriate outline and in the proper location according

to the instructions herein.

1.15. Certification of Independent Price Determination

By submitting a bid, the Bidder certifies that the prices submitted in response to the solicitation have been

arrived at independently and without any consultation, communication, or agreement with any other Bidder or

competitor for the purpose of restricting competition.

1.16. Applicable Law

The contract shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Mississippi,

excluding its conflicts of laws provisions, and any litigation with respect thereto shall be brought in the courts

of Mississippi.

1.17. Approval

It is understood that if this contract requires approval by the Public Procurement Review Board (“PPRB”) and/or

the Department of Finance and Administration Office of Personal Service Contract Review (“OPSCR”), and this

contract is not approved by PPRB and/or OPSCR, it is void and no payment shall be made hereunder.

1.18. Availability of Funds

It is expressly understood and agreed that the obligation of MSDH to proceed under this agreement is

conditioned upon the appropriation of funds by the Mississippi State Legislature and the receipt of the

appropriated funds. If the funds anticipated for the continuing time fulfillment of the agreement are, at any

time, not forthcoming or insufficient, regardless of the source of funding, MSDH shall have the right upon ten

(10) business days written notice to Contractor, to terminate this agreement without damage, penalty, cost or

expense to the MSDH of any kind whatsoever. The effective date of termination shall be as specified in the

notice of termination.

1.19. Compliance with Equal Opportunity in Employment Policy

Contractor understands that the MSDH is an equal opportunity employer and therefore, maintains a policy

which prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, sex, age, national origin, physical handicap,

disability, genetic information, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws. All such

discrimination is unlawful, and Contractor agrees during the term of the agreement that Contractor will strictly

adhere to this policy in its employment practices and provision of services.

1.20. Compliance with Laws

Contractor shall comply with, and all activities under this agreement shall be subject to, all applicable federal,

state, and local laws and regulations, as now existing and as may be amended or modified.

1.21. E-Payment

Contractor agrees to accept all payments in United States currency via the State of Mississippi’s electronic

payment and remittance vehicle. The Agency agrees to make payment in accordance with Mississippi “Timely

Payments for Purchases by Public Bodies” laws, which generally provide for payment of undisputed amounts by

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Commodity Codes

• NAICS 541519Other Computer Related Services
• NAICS 541611Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
• NAICS 541618Other Management Consulting Services

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