Labor Exchange Case Management Software

1 STATE OF TENNESSEE TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FOR LABOR EXCHANGE CASE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE RFI # 33701 _260120 [RELEASE DATE 1/30/2026 ] 1. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE : The State of Tennessee, Department of Labor and Workforce Development issues this Request for Information (“RFI”) for the purpose of Labor Exchange Case Management System . We appreciate your input and participation in this process . 2. BACKGROUND: Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) currently utilizes a Labor Exchange System that is intended to match qualifi ed employees searching for employment to employers that require a qualification/skill matched system . Therefore, TDLWD requires a modernized Labor Exchange system utilizing modern programming language and technology to enhance the usability and ease of use for employers seeking employment , and employers seeking qualified candidates. 3. LABOR EXCHANGE CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: 3.1. Labor Exchange . The Labor Exchange is intended to be the core of the system that matches qualified job seekers to employers. The functional requirements are, but not limited to: 3.1.1. Comprehensive job posting/listing, employer posting, public & private job feed ingestion (statewide), and search tools. 3.1.2. Enhanced Skills Matching . Intelligent matching of job seekers to jobs and training, and recommendation of candidates to employers. 3.1.3. Employer job posting (manual UI + API), job posting templating, job requisition lifecycle, job search and filtering, geospatial search, bulk import/export. 3.1.4. The System shall have the ability for employers to post job listing directly on the system , perform lifecycle management of applicants, schedule interviews, and act as a communication hub with TDLWD, employers, and employees. 3.1.5. The system shall have the ability to host separate, but integrated, modules f or the State, Employees, and Employers. 3.1.6. The System shall contain a modernized enhanced resume buil der that allows continuity of language and skills matching for potential employees and employers. 3.1.7. The sys tem shall be able to have a streamlined, modernized and accurate job matching engine that c an scan resumes, skills, and qualifications and match potential employees with qualified employers. 3.1.8. The system shall have a mechanism to ingest job postings from public and private job boards (API feeds, scraping, partnerships). It must include deduplication, geolocation/valid location assignment to Tennessee, and frequency controls. Describe legal/compliance approach to scraping. 3.1.9. The System shall be able to perform c andidate searches by employers (with filters), candidate outreach tools (messaging), applicant tracking and screening workflows , and ability to mark candidate interest/availability. 3.1.10. The System shall have a geolocation tracking system that allows employers to see potential qualified job seekers on a heat -map in their location. The employer shall have the ability, at a minimum, to filter by job type. 3.1.11. The System shall have Automated Candidate Management that can, but not limited to, send/receive application confirmations, status updates, scheduling interviews 3.1.12. The System shall have an automated Virtual Assistant (Chat Bot) that can assist all eligible users with general assistance as it pertains to usability and functionality. 3.1.13. The System shall have s upport for Apprenticeships, Internships, and Work -Based Learning with the ability for , but not limited to, matching, placements, competency tracking, employer validation. 3.2. Reporting . The System shall Include , but not limited to, standard/ad -hoc reporting, dashboards, and real -time labor market information and forecasting. Additionally, the System shall have the ability to export/import and produce federally required data elements for WIOA reporting (including participant -level records needed for state/federal uploads). (State will validate specific formats.) 3.3. Compliance . 3.3.1. The System shall maintain compliance with a ll Federal, State and Local law, policy, regulations, and guidelines. 3.3.2. The System shall be a completely stand -alone system from all other states and entities regarding updating any Federal requirement. The State shall have the ability to update or request the contractor to update any requirement that could potentially affect the system or its functionality as it pertains to Federal, State, or Local requirements. 3.4. Scalability . While the State understands it cannot “future -proof” t he System , the contractor shall utilize the mos t up-to-date programming language, methods, and technology to provide the State a System that can add functionality as required . 3.5. Security . 3.5.1. The Contractor shall utilize Enterprise -grade hosting, authentication/SSO, audit logging, encryption, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), data residency (US), robust security controls, disaster recovery, and business continuity architecture. The System shall meet all required security standards as required by the State. 3.5.2. Provide security posture: encryption at rest/in transit, identity & access management, role -based access control, logging/audit trails, vulnerability management, pen test cadence, incident response processes. 3.5.3. The Contractor shall provide the State with a description of P ersonally Identifiable Information (PII) /Social Security Number (SSN) and other sensitive data are protected, and how the System supports auditability for federal/state audits. 3.6. Integration with 3rd Party Applications . The System shall have the ability to integrate with , but not limited to, the following applications, Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT ), Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL ), Title II providers, state UI, Unemployment Insurance, TDLWD data sources, One -Stop partners, and standard formats . The System shall be able to show eligibility, referrals, RESEA data exchange, and shared identity as supported 3.7. Program Workflows . The System sha ll have the ability for State to define program -specific applications, eligibility rules, workflows, and reports without vendor code changes for various programs, such as apprenticeships, internships, work -based learning, the Tennessee Youth Employment Program, and Re -Entry programs. 3.8. Training Provider Integration . The System shall be able to ingest TCAT program catalogs, ETPL provider/training data, Title II training/assessment data and maintain a mechanism for keeping ETPL and training availability current. 3.9. WIOA Ti tle I and III Case Management . The System shall have the ability to, but not limited to: Client intake, registration, eligibility determination, enrollment, training plans Individual Training Account (ITAs), Individual Employment Plan (IEP), case notes, service tracking, participant activities, follow -up services, internal and external referrals, veteran priority of service, and veteran/priority flags. 3.10. Data Migration & Onboarding . The Contractor shall describe to the State the data migration methodology, validation, tools, and data mapping. 3.11. Maintenance, Support & Service Levels . The Contractor shall provide optional or included support packages and costs (e.g., included in license, or separately priced). Additionall y, the Contractor shall provide the State a description of how they will provide and perform continuous maintenance and patching approach, frequency of patches/updates, and maintenance windows. 3.12. Accessibility and User Experience . The System shall be Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG ) 2.1 AA compliant, multi -language support (English + Spanish minimal), mobile responsiveness, and public portal usability The Contractor shall abide by all Federal and State A merican Disability Act requirements. 3.13. Helpdesk, Training, & Knowledge Base . The Contractor shall provide user training materials, conduct system training in a train -the-trainer methodology, documentation, and helpdesk tiers. 3.14. Program Application For ms. The System shall have the ability to allow State system administrators to create new program application forms, eligibility checks, conditional steps, electronic signatures, attachments, and state -specific reporting fields without vendor code changes. 4. COMMUNICATIONS : 4.1. Please submit your response to this RFI to: CHARLES JANSEN , DIRECTOR TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT 220 French Landing, 4A Nashville, TN 37243 charles.jansen@tn.gov 4.2. Please feel free to contact the TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT with any questions regarding this RFI. The main point of contact will be: DON CAIN, CONTRACT MANAGER TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT 220 French Landing, 4A Nashville, TN 37243 Don.cain @tn.gov 4.3. Pleas e reference RFI # 33701 _260120 with all communications to this RFI. 5. RFI SCHEDULE OF EVENTS: EVENT TIME (Central Time Zone) DATE (all dates are State business days) 1. RFI Issued January 30, 2026 2. RFI Response Deadline 3:30pm March 18, 2026 6. GENERAL INFORMATION: 6.1. Please note that responding to this RFI is not a prerequisite for responding to any future solicitations related to this project and a response to this RFI will not create any contract rights. Responses to this RFI will become property of the State. 6.2. The information gathered during this RFI is part of an ongoing procurement. In order to prevent an unfair advantage among potential respondents, the RFI responses will not be available until after the completion of evaluation of any responses, proposals , or bids resulting from a Request for Qualifications, Request for Proposals, Invitation to Bid or other procurement method. In the event that the state chooses not to go further in the procurement process and responses are never evaluated, the responses to the procurement including the responses to the RFI, will be considered confidential by the State. 6.3. The State will not pay for any costs associated with responding to this RFI. 7. INFORMATIONAL FORM S: The State is requesting the following informat ion from all interested parties. Please fill out the following form s: RFI # 33701_260120 TECHNICAL INFORMATIONAL FORM 1. RESPONDENT LEGAL ENTITY NAME: 2. RESPONDENT CONTACT PERSON: Name, Title: Address: Phone Number: Email: 3. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF EXPERIENCE PROVIDING SIMILAR S COPE OF SERVICES/ PRODUCTS 4. Indicate whether solution is C ommercial Off The Shelf (COTS) , COTS + custom services, or custom -built. If COTS, describe upgrade policy and frequency and whether tenant -level customiza tions will be retained through upgrades. 5. Describe how you keep the System technology current (e.g., scheduled upgrades, modular architecture, use of modern frameworks, Continuous Integration/ Continuous Delivery (CI/CD ) practices. 6. How frequently are major and minor releases deployed? How do you handle deprecated features? 7. Explain options for backward compatibility and how customizations are preserved across upgrades. 8. Provide a high -level roadmap (next 12 –24 months) and examples of recent major enhancements 9. Provide a detailed description of your change control/change management process, covering: Types of changes (minor bug fix, configuration change, major enhancement, emergency patch), approval workflows, and estimated lead times for each type; How changes are regression tested (unit, integration, User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and who performs UAT with the State; Versioning, release notes, rollback plans, and communication procedures; How State -requested changes are estimated, prioritized, and scheduled (including change request forms, governance, and cost estimation practices); Any chargeable vs non -chargeable change types (e.g., security patching vs new feature dev). 10. If AI is utilized, explain the AI governance and ethics methodology and model development, bias mitigation, explainability tools, and State override abilities. 11. Describe APIs, authentication, webhooks, SFTP/SOAP, and example integrations with UI, TCAT, ETPL, and apprenticeship systems. 12. The Contractor shall describe to the State the data migration methodology, validation, tools, and data mapping. 13. The Contractor shall provide the State with a description of PII/SSN and other sensitive data are protected, and how the System supports auditability for federal/state audits. 14. Provide examples timelines from initial build to imple mentation of functional software of similarly complex software of similar nature to the system requirements in this RFI. COST INFORMATIONAL FORM 1. Describe what pricing unit s you typically utilize for similar services or goods (e.g., per hour, each, etc.: 2. Describe the typical price range for similar service s or goods 3. Provide a range (low, typical, high) and exemplar line items for th e following cost categories. If you offer multiple purchasing models (SaaS subscription, perpetual license + maintenance, hosted managed service), provide ranges for each model. For each cost item state whether it is recurring (annual/monthly) or one -time. 4. Base implementation (out -of-the-box configuration) cost range 5. Customization/development cost range (per customization type or per developer -day). 6. Data migration cost range (per data source or per record estimate). 7. Per-user licensing (admin, caseworker, employer, public user), or flat subscription model. 8. Any per -transaction or per -posting fees. 9. Hosting (SaaS) fees or recommended cloud hosting costs (if customer -hosted). 10. Annual maintenance/ support (percent of license cost or fixed fee ranges). 11. Onboarding/training costs (train -the-trainer, user licensing for training). 12. 3-year and 5 -year TCO examples for typical deployment scenarios (State -hosted vs SaaS). Provide assumptions used to calculate . ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS 1. Please provide input on alternative approaches or additional things to consider that might benefit the State: