Project Information

Bid Title

RFP 26-022 Mass Communication Notification System Addendum 1 Q and A

Issuing Agency

Arkansas Tech University

Location

Arkansas

Published Date

May 18, 2026

Closing Date

Jun 8, 2026

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Original Source

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Bid Documents

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Project Description

Open Date	Job Description	Status
June 8, 2026 2 pm.	RFP 26-022 Mass Communication Notification System Addendum 1 Q and A	Open

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ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY

PROCUREMENT SERVICES

514 West M Street

Russellville, Arkansas 72801

479-968-0269

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Project: Mass Communication Notification System

PROPOSAL DEADLINE

Proposals must be received no later than:

2:00 P.M. Central Time – June 08, 2026

Proposal Delivery Address and Opening Location:

Arkansas Tech University

Procurement Services

514 West M Street

Russellville, AR 72801

Proposals will be accepted until the time and date specified above. The proposal package must

be sealed and clearly marked with the proposal number, date and hour of proposal opening,

and the proposer’s return address.

Issuing Officer

Jennifer Warren, APO, Director of Procurement

479-356-2287

Jwarren2@atu.edu

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Arkansas Tech University (ATU) is requesting Proposals from qualified vendors for a mass

communication alert notification system.

2.0 ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY BACKGROUND

Founded in 1909, Arkansas Tech University is a public comprehensive institution of higher

education located in Russellville, Arkansas. ATU serves students from across Arkansas, the

region, and the nation, offering associate, undergraduate, and graduate degree programs

through multiple academic colleges.

Arkansas Tech University is committed to academic excellence, workforce development, and

responsible stewardship of its physical campus. The University continually invests in facilities

that support teaching, research, student life, and community engagement.

3.0 SELECTION PROCESS and AWARD

Proposals will be evaluated in three (3) phases.

Phase One – Compliance Review

Procurement Services will determine whether each proposal meets all mandatory requirements

of this RFP. Failure to comply may result in a proposal being deemed non-responsive. The

University reserves the right to waive minor irregularities. In order to simplify the University’s

task of evaluating all of the proposals we have developed a format in which all proposals must

be prepared. Failure to adhere to this format or omitting any of the information that is

required may result in your firm’s proposal being disqualified.

Phase Two – Technical and Business Evaluation

An evaluation committee appointed by Arkansas Tech University will review and score the

technical and business proposals in accordance with the criteria outlined in Section 6.

Pricing will be provided to the committee during the initial evaluation term.

Phase Three – Short List Selection

Shortlisted respondents may be invited to participate in interviews. Interview dates will be

communicated in writing to selected firms.

Award and Term-The University reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, or any portion

thereof, and re-advertise if deemed necessary. Award will be given to the proposer whose

proposal conforms to the RFP and in the sole judgement of the University, will be the most

advantageous to the University. As a result of this RFP, ATU intends to award a contract to a

single Contractor. The required services are to commence upon contract approval and unless

terminated sooner, shall continue in force for an initial period of one year (1) year with the

option to extend for additional years not to exceed a total of seven (7) years.

4.0 SCHEDULE (TENTATIVE)

Event

RFP Issued

Questions Due by

Proposal Submission

Deadline

Notification of

Interviewees (if applicable)

Interviews (if applicable)

Award Notification

Contract Execution

Date

May 8, 2026

May 15, 2026 4 p.m. email to jwarren2@atu.edu Answers

posted on atu.edu/purchasing by 4 pm. May 18.

June 08, 2026 2 p.m.

Week of June 8, 2026

Week of June 15, 2026

Week of June 22, 2026

Anticipated September 1, 2026

Dates are subject to change by addendum.

5.0 INTERGOVERNMENTAL/COOPERATIVE USE OF PROPOSAL AND

CONTRACT

In accordance with Arkansas Code §19-61-802, this proposal and the resulting contract are

available to any college or university in Arkansas that wishes to utilize the services of the

selected proposer, and if the proposer agrees, they may agree as provided in this RFP.

6.0 QUALIFICATIONS AND EVALUATION CRITERIA

Proposals will be evaluated on a best-value basis using the following criteria:

Section

Maximum Points

Message and Data Management 20

System Performance and Reliability 20

Deliverables

20

References

10

Cost

30

Total Possible Points

100

6.1 General Requirements

The proposed system shall:

• Commercial Availability: Be commercially available with a proven track record in higher

education or similar sized organizations.

• Configurability: Allow for configurations that align with ATU’s legal requirements for the

Clery Act.

• Multi-Channel Reach: Have the ability to disseminate messages across multiple nodes,

including text, email, voice call, RSS feeds, and CAP protocol.

• Smart Phone Application: Have a mobile application or mobile-accessible interface with

administrative capability to send mass notifications.

• SMS Opt in: Have the ability to opt in non-university affiliated persons (ex. Campus

visitors) via commonly accepted opt-in methods such as a SMS keywords, web forms or

QR codes.

• Panic Button Alerts: configurable emergency alert activation features where supported,

preferably through mobile application or mobile-accessible interface. 3.2

Communication Capabilities

The system shall support delivery via:

• SMS/MMS: High-throughput short-code messaging capabilities designed to support

large-scale delivery.

• Voice: Text-to-speech (TTS) and recorded audio capabilities for landlines and mobile.

• Email: Integration with institutional SMTP or vendor provided email delivery services.

• Push Notifications: Native alerts via a mobile application or equivalent mobile delivery

mechanism.

• Desktop Alerts: Pop-up overrides for classroom and office workstations.

• Digital Signage/Social Media: API triggers for campus screens and ALERTUS beacons.

6.2 Message Management

The system should include:

• Real-Time Dashboard: A mobile-friendly interface for launching alerts while on the

move.

• Templates: Capability to produce a library of pre-approved templates (e.g., Active

Shooter, Severe Weather, Gas Leak) to reduce human error during high-stress events.

• Geofencing: Ability to draw a polygon on a map and alert only those users

physically located within that boundary.

6.3 User and Data Management

The system shall:

• Automated Sync: Support automated data feeds via SFTP or API from the Student

Information System (e.g., Banner).

• Single Sign-On (SSO): Integrate with institutional identity providers (SAML, Shibboleth,

Azure AD) for admin and user login.

• SMS Opt in: Allow users to manage contact information and notification preferences,

including opting in to non-emergency communications.

• Data Hygiene: Automated tools to flag invalid numbers or bounced email addresses.

6.4 System Performance and Reliability

The solution shall:

• Uptime SLA: Guarantee a minimum of 99.9% availability.

• Throughput: Demonstrate the ability to delivery high-volume notifications within

timeframes appropriate for emergency communications. Respondent should provide

performance benchmarks to demonstrate capability.

• Redundancy: Utilize geo-redundant data centers to ensure the system remains live even

if one region suffers a catastrophic failure.

6.5 Security and Privacy

The system shall:

• Compliance: Adhere to FERPA, GDPR (if applicable), and NIST security frameworks.

• Encryption: Ensure data is encrypted at rest (AES-256) and in transit (TLS 1.2+).

• Audit Trails: Log every action taken by administrators, including message content,

timestamp, and target audience.

6.6 Integration

The system should:

• Public Address (PA) Systems: Connect to physical sirens or building intercoms via CAP

(Common Alerting Protocol).

6.7 Deliverables

• Fully Operational System: Production environment and a separate "Sandbox/Testing"

environment.

• Detailed Project Plan: Including milestones for data integration, testing, and go-live.

• Documentation: Comprehensive admin guides, API documentation, and an Incident

Response playbook.

• Reporting: Post-incident analytics reports showing delivery success rates and "time-to-

read" metrics.

• Training relevant to staff to utilize system.

• Ongoing support services with defined support availability (24/7) and escalation

procedures.

7.0 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Proposers must submit: - One (1) hard copy and one (1) electronic copy on flash drive. One

redacted copy is requested as responses are subject to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

requests.

No emailed proposals will be accepted.

Commodity Codes

• NAICS 238210Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors
• NAICS 334290Other Communications Equipment Manufacturing
• NAICS 541519Other Computer Related Services

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