Opportunity Overview
Montana State University University Graduate School is seeking graduate-specific online e-learning services for career exploration, development, and support under RFP MSU-RFP-2027-0864. The official Montana eMACS solicitation identifies two graduate-student-specific platforms: one for master’s students and one for doctoral/post-doctoral students.
Deadline and Schedule
The controlling Montana eMACS event opened August 31, 2026 at 2:00 PM MDT and proposals are sealed until and due October 6, 2026 at 2:00 PM MDT. Offerors are instructed to submit questions to the public Q&A board by September 23, 2026; the public event export does not state a clock time for that question cutoff. Late questions may be submitted, but the University does not guarantee an answer.
Funding / Contract Value
This is a procurement, not a grant. The public event export does not state a contract ceiling, estimated value, or guaranteed spend. Payment terms are listed as Net 30. Grant-style match or cost share is not applicable.
Vendor Eligibility and Qualifications
Qualified vendors must be able to satisfy the University’s software/service requirements and mandatory procurement conditions. The RFP requires offerors to describe relevant experience and past projects, provide qualifications for key personnel, explain how the proposed solution meets the specifications, list implementations of the proposed products from the last five years with customer contacts, disclose relevant litigation, and provide a detailed work plan. If an offeror advances to final selection, Montana State University may require at least three references for comparable services, preferably from the prior three years. Negative references may be grounds for disqualification.
The University may also require evidence of financial stability before award, potentially including three consecutive years of financial statements plus subsequent quarterly statements. Offerors must submit their standard software/service agreement, accept or address the University’s software contract addendum and data-security terms, and comply with debarment, mandatory requirements, insurance, acceptance, cooperative purchasing, presentation/demonstration/interview, and other prerequisites in the controlling RFP.
Required Forms, Certifications, and Procurement Controls
The public eMACS package lists six buyer attachments: Scope of Work, Cost Proposal, Evaluation Criteria, Draft Contract, PD-80 Software University Contract Addendum, and PD-83 Data Security Terms. Required response information includes a current W-9, invoice/remit information, contract liaison and signatory details, supplier-registration contact information, complete pricing disclosure, qualifications and experience, implementation history, litigation disclosure, work plan, software/service agreement, and the required certifications and acknowledgements.
Offerors must disclose all costs associated with the proposed product or service; costs not disclosed in the proposal are deemed non-applicable and will not be paid by the University. The RFP also includes a Montana HB 356 nondiscrimination certification concerning firearms entities/trade associations or, when applicable, a detailed statement explaining why the statutory provisions do not apply. The proposal asks whether AI was used in developing any portion of the response and, if so, requires identification of the AI-assisted portions plus human subject-matter-expert review and responsibility for accuracy.
Registration and Submission
Responses are submitted electronically through Montana eMACS/JAGGAER. Vendors must review and accept the event prerequisites to enter a bid. If awarded, the contractor is required to register in SmartBuyMSU, Montana State University’s Jaggaer-powered e-procurement system. The procurement contact is Kraig Rieger, kraig.rieger@montana.edu.
Addenda, Questions, and Contract Exceptions
Offerors are responsible for checking the public Q&A board before submission. Requests for additions or exceptions to the sample contract or standard terms must be submitted to the procurement officer by the question deadline and must explain the requested change and its effect on the offeror’s ability to respond or perform. Vendors should review the live eMACS event immediately before submission for addenda, answers, amendments, and any changes to the controlling attachments.
Atlas Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 58/100. This is a legitimate, currently open Montana higher-education procurement with a clear deadline and defined vendor qualification requirements, but it is specialized graduate career-development e-learning software rather than a healthcare technology opportunity.
N9+ Fit: 0/100. Nonagon N9+ is a remote physical examination platform and does not address the graduate-career e-learning scope. QC Healthcare Fit: 0/100. Dr. Miltie Direct Vendor Fit: 0/100. Atlas found no verified Dr. Miltie capability, product history, higher-education software implementations, references, or other qualifications establishing a legitimate direct response to this RFP. No fit is forced.
Verified Source
Controlling source: Montana Acquisition & Contracting System (eMACS), Event 1437543, RFP MSU-RFP-2027-0864. The public event export and eMACS register were verified on September 11, 2026.