Request for Proposal ESU-24-13

Virtual Bookstore for Empire State University

Questions and Answers Page

All information and updates on this solicitation are contained in the New York State Contract Reporter advertisement found at: The NYSCR.

Questions pertaining to the content of an Invitation for Bid must be made in writing via email to the designated parties on the New York State Contract Reporter.

It is recommended that vendors monitor the advertisement in the New York State Contract Reporter for updates and more information.

A pre-bid conference was held on July 11, 2024. To inquire about a recording, please email the RFP's primary and secondary contacts.

All Questions/Requests for clarification due: July 16, 2024

All Answers to submitted questions provided by: July 23, 2024

General

The highest priority is for our students to have a positive experience ordering their books and if there is any kind of problem, that they have reliable customer service to help them.

High cost of course material.
Availability of course material on short notice due to late registration, last minute courses additions, and last-minute problem titles.
Complexity of adoption process on customizable materials, like course packs, Aktiv Labs, etc.

We would like to continue student purchases for the final term where faculty submitted their adoptions on our current bookstore (e.g., the Spring 2025 Term adoptions submitted prior to start of term/new contract beginning) and implement the new bookstore with faculty adoptions with our new vendor/virtual bookstore (e.g., the Summer 2025 Term). We’d only like to overlap during the period where students are finishing their purchases for the term where faculty made their original adoption requests.

No, it must be mailed.

As long as the proposal is time and date stamped by the SUNY Empire prior to the Proposal Due Date and Time, your proposal will be accepted.

This requirement was updated and corrected in the RFP document posted to Contract Reporter.

The last paragraph of section 10.8 has been replaced in the published RFP on Contract Reporter with the sentence below and attachment 7:

"In response to this section, bidders to complete and submit Attachment 7, Proposed Subcontractor Information Submission Form for each proposed subcontractor. Additionally, proposed subcontractors must file the required Vendor Responsibility Questionnaire as set forth in Section 10.1, when applicable. Bidders are encouraged to utilize NYS firms, as set forth in Exhibit C, Proposal Submission Guidelines."

There is no miscellaneous information to add. Please refer to the RFP.

Background Information

We have been with our current vendor for five (5) years.

No.

The university operates under a separate merchandise site. The merchandise sales are not in the scope of this virtual bookstore RFP.

The university uses Ellucian Banner.

The university uses D2L’s Brightspace as a LMS.

Completed credit hours for each semester are below:

Summer 2023 - 35,641
Fall 2023 – 88,748
Spring 2024 - 92,631

Completed credit hours for each semester are below:

Summer 2023 - 35,641
Fall 2023 - 88,748
Spring 2024 - 92,631

Course Adoptions & Sales Data

You can find the adoption and enrollment reports for Summer 2023, Fall 2023, and Spring 2024 below:

Summer 2023 Bookstore RFP (file 139kB)

Fall2023 Bookstore RFP (file 175kB)

Spring 2024 Bookstore RFP (file 544kB)

You can find the adoption and enrollment reports for Summer 2023, Fall 2023, and Spring 2024 here:

Summer 2023 Bookstore RFP (file 139kB)

Fall2023 Bookstore RFP (file 175kB)

Spring 2024 Bookstore RFP (file 544kB)

July 2023 – June 2024:

New - $824,207.73
Used - $220,134.24
Digital - $1,074,227.90
Rental - $120,596.31

July 2022 - June 2023:
- New - $741,462.86,
- Used - $207,140.66,
- Digital - $778,014.61,
- Rental - $85,887.49.
July 2023 – June2024:
- New - $824,207.73,
- Used - $220,134.24,
- Digital - $107,4227.90,
- Rental - $120,596.31.

No.

July 2023 – June 2024:

New - $824,207.73
Used - $220,134.24
Digital - $1,074,227.90
Rental - $120,596.31

July 2021- June 2022:
- New- $901,370.73,
- Used-$233,606.58,
- Digital - $602,136.21,
- Rental-$89,121.92.
July 2022 - June 2023:
- New - $741,462.86,
- Used - $207,140.66,
- Digital- $778,014.61,
- Rental - $85,887.49.
July 2023 – June 2024:
- New - $824,207.73,
- Used - $220,134.24
- Digital- $1,074,227.90,
- Rental - $120,596.31.

Financial

Yes. Sales attributable to the use of financial aid were:

69% from July 2022 – June 2023.
75 % from July 2023 – June 2024.

July 2022 – June 2023 was 69%.

July 2023 – June 2024 was 75%.

Yes.

N/A.

July 2023 – June 2024 was 75%.

67% of our students receive some type of Financial Aid.

Yes.

We use Banner to manage financial aid for our students.

No.

Inclusive/Equitable Access

No.

This is not in the scope of the RFP; Empire State University is not considering this option at this time.

TSRD

The cells in the TSRD were corrected and the new copy was published to Contract Reporter.

Providing an option to the adapter to receive confirmation of all their recent adoptions and changes in one email, maybe weekly instead of an email every time they adopt a course or make a change.

Pick “Provide” and then include details about what you can provide in the proposal.

Request for Proposal ESU-24-13

Virtual Bookstore for Empire State University

Questions and Answers Page

General

What is the highest priority item in the RFP?

What are the top three challenges that Empire State University faces with current course materials operations that the institution hopes to resolve with a new provider?

The RFP states that Empire State University plans to run the new virtual bookstore concurrently with the existing virtual bookstore. Could ESU please expand on this plan? How long will the two stores be operating concurrently?

Given the short timeline for receiving proposals, are you willing to accept a digital only copy?

Under section Certification. Section 10.8: Subcontracting, it says bidders must complete and submit Attachment 5: Proposed Subcontractor Information Submission Form, but Att. 5 in the back of RFP is called Non-Collusive bidding certificate. Is that the right form?

Please provide any miscellaneous information that we should know. Please let us know any of pertinent information that will help us accurately establish pricing.

Background Information

Please provide detail so of your current contractual partnership including the # of years, commission rates, capital investment, etc…

Does the institution have any direct agreements in place with publishers or other third-party course material providers?

Can Empire State University provide the sales history for merchandise sales over the last three fiscal years?

What is the current Student Information System (SIS) in use at Empire State University?

What is the current Learning Management System (LMS) in use at Empire State University?

Can you please provide annual credit hours attempted by students?

Please provide the Total Credit Hours that students took for the two main terms that were provided above. This allows us to divide the total costs of course materials by the total credit hours offered to set an accurate flat fee per credit hour.

Course Adoptions & Sales Data

Can you please provide the booklist in Excel format for the past academic year including Winter 24, Spring 2024, Fall 2023, and Summer 2023 semesters including course number, ISBN, and enrollment by course?

Please provide the complete Course Material Adoption Lists from the two most recent main terms (Fall & Spring), including Course Information & Actual Enrollment Numbers by Course.

Please provide sales product detail for the period of July 2023-June 2024 sum of $2,181,404.34 to include: • New Textbooks • Used Textbooks • Textbook Rental • Digital Textbooks • Inclusive Access materials • Miscellaneous Materials (supplies, kits, etc…)

Please provide a category breakdown of textbook sales information from the past few years including new, used, rental, digital, and inclusive access.

Are there any sales reflected in the historical sales numbers that were a result of a one-time grant or other funding that will not occur in the future?

Please provide sales product detail for the period of July 2023-June 2024 sum of $2,181,404.34 to include: • New Textbooks • Used Textbooks • Textbook Rental • Digital Textbooks • Inclusive Access materials • Miscellaneous Materials (supplies, kits, etc…)

Can Empire State University provide the sales history for textbooks and course materials over the last three fiscal years? Please break down by textbook type (new, used, rental, e-book, course packs, etc.)

Financial

Is the Campus Store integrated with the University for the use of financial aid funds? What is the amount of sales attributable to the use of financial aid at the Campus Bookstore?

What percentage of overall sales in the bookstore came from financial aid?

Is Financial Aid allocated to students for textbooks and course materials and used as a tender type in the current bookstore? If so, can you describe the process for how Financial Aid is distributed and then used for course materials/textbooks?

Please provide any specific course material pricing that is presently in place in the Campus Store operations as part of your present agreement.

In the last 12 months, what is the total dollar value spent on textbooks and course materials with financial aid?

What percentage of Empire State University students receive Financial Aid?

Do you allow students to charge a bursar account?

What, if any, Financial Aid Management software is utilized by Empire State University?

Does Empire State University have a proprietary “One Card” or “Campus Card” that can be used for purchases at the campus store? If so, who is the backend provider for that card?

Inclusive/Equitable Access

Does the institution have any Inclusive Access course material adoptions? If so, how many courses have inclusive access adoptions?

Are there currently any Inclusive Access/Equitable Access programs in place at Empire State University?

Would the institution be interested in implementing an equitable access solution, an in-tuition solution where all course materials are automatically delivered to all students with the costs included as part of the cost of attendance?

Is the institution interested in or have the ability to implement an Inclusive Access model?

Is the institution interested in or have the ability to implement an Equitable Access model?

TSRD

Cells 58F & 59F of the TSRD specs are protected cells. Can you provide a new copy so those cells can be noted?

Line 52 of the TSRD specs asks if Vendor can send a summary of multiple course adoptions rather than just for each individual course. Can you please provide clarification as to what this question is referring?