Request for Proposal
SCHOOL DISTRICTIS REQUESTING PROPOSALS FOR THE INCLUSION OF VIRTUAL DRIVER TRAINING SIMULATORS INTO OUR DRIVER TRAINING PROGRAM.
WHY USE THIS TEMPLATE?
Driving simulators have come a very long way in terms of their content and capabilities in just the last few years.
So if you have simulators that need to be replaced, it is difficult to make a valid comparison based on what you currently have. And, if you are looking to purchase a simulator for the first time, it is hard to know what an “apples-to apples” comparison even looks like without first being familiar with its relevant capabilities.
Given that most buyers are unfamiliar with the latest and greatest technological capabilities, it is easy to become overwhelmed by the rhetoric associated with a generic RFP response.
Your goal is to create a document that is specific enough to guarantee that you are purchasing the very best mix of hardware and software for your audience. So how do you get the best for your school without being the source expert?
The vendors of simulator systems with older software will often focus on the simulator as a “hardware” purchase, meaning, the focus will be on things like “real steel pedals” or a manual shifter used in racing video games. Be aware that the “physical” hardware you see is only important to the extent it allows the software to teach effectively.
Educatorsknow the real value of any simulation training is the efficient and effective transfer of learning. It is all about the curriculum, baseline measurement, mastery of the topics and demonstration of the transfer of skill.
INTRODUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONS HOW TO USE TEMPLATE
- The fields have been designed to be able to use “as is”, or modify to incorporate additional information as needed. The purchasing and legal requirements that may relate to your state, district or school system can be copied and pasted in as needed.
- Using the REPLACE function in Word, simply replace all SCHOOL DISTRICT mentions with your own school district name.
- Using the FIND function in Word, find all mentions of INSERT and insert dates and school specific information/requirements as noted. Alternately, all inserts are highlighted as well.
(You may simply delete this page after completion of RFP document)
Insert Date- Page 1 - Insert Bid Number
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
INTRODUCTION & EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS...... 2
PROPOSED TIMETABLE...... 3
STATEMENT OF WORK...... 4
VENDOR & PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS
CURRICULUM...... 6
PARENT ACCESS TO WEB CONTENT……………………………………………...... 8
SOFTWARE FUNCTIONALITY...... 9
HARDWARE FUNCTIONALITY...... 11
TEACHER ADMINISTRATIVE TOOLS & CONTROLS...... 13
PRODUCT SUPPORT CAPABILITIES…………………………………………...... 13
COMPANY REQUIREMENTS AND INFORMATION……………………………...... 14
PRICING……………………...... ………………………………………………….15
PARTIAL VENDOR LIST……………………………………………………...... 16
MEDIA & REQUIRED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS ...... 17
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION / PROPOSAL FOR
VIRTUAL DRIVING SIMULATORS
<Insert Bid I.D. or Purchasing #
INTRODUCTION
SCHOOL DISTRICT is <Insert information about your locations, size, number of students.>
<Insert a brief paragraph about your expectations for the timing of the information and/or award. Include dates for submission of information, opportunities to ask questions, date of award and desired date of installation.>
INSTRUCTIONS SPECIFIC TO THIS REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS
All proposals will be evaluated using the following point system as a guideline. The lowest price of any proposal will not necessarily be accepted.
- Applicability of the curriculum and exercises offered40%
- Functionality and feature capabilities of the software30%
- Hardware system options15%
- Proposed Pricing15%
For more information or forclarificationof any part of this RFP,including Technical Specifications, the Districtpoint of contact is:
Name:______
Title:______
Phone:______
E-Mail:______
Mailing Address:______
______
______
Questions AND ALL SUPPORTING MEDIA and documents must be submitted NOLATERTHAN <Insert Date>.
Insert Date- Page 1 - Insert Bid Number
PROPOSEDTIMETABLE
EVENTDEADLINE/DATE
Issue RequestforProposalsMonth, Day, Year
Proposal mustbe received byMonth, Day, Year
ProposerInterviews (ifnecessary)Month, Day, Year
Award ReleasedMonth, Day, Year
Contracts signed byMonth, Day, Year
Implementation Phase BeginsMonth, Day, Year
Proposed timetable is subject to revision and willvary if award is made without interviews.
Proposal Deadline
Sealed proposals will beaccepted until Insert time, month, day, year at insert location______.All proposals are to be clearlylabeled onthe outside ofthe envelope/box withthe proposer’s name,address, and InsertRFP NAME______.
Each packetshall contain one (1) original and three (3) copies of therespectiveproposal.
<Insert any additional school, district or state purchasing rules and restrictions here.
1)
2)
3)
STATEMENT OF WORK
PURPOSE OF RFP
The“District” wishes to establish a contractto providevirtual driving simulators which meet the requirements in this document. It is the desire of the District to obtain the systems providing the best learning experience in support of the safety of our students.
SCOPE OF RFP
TheDistrict has <Insert number> ___ high schools wheresimulators shall beused.Proposershall provide a product thatmeets our requirements. Proposershall certify and guarantee the answers to be truthful and able to be substantiated.
The systems must be available in time for the <Insert term date> ______.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Proposershall verify all of thefollowing requirements will bemet:
- All equipment must be new.
A. <Insert any purchasing or legal requirements
B. <Insert any purchasing or legal requirements
RIGHT TO RETAIN PROPOSALS
TheDistrict reserves theright to retain all proposals regardless ofwhetherthatproposal isselected.Submission of a proposal indicates acceptanceby thefirm of theconditions contained in this RFP unless clearly and specifically noted in the proposal submitted and confirmedinthecontractbetweenthe Districtandthe firm selected.
The Districtreserves the right to select theproposal which appears tobein thebest interest of theDistrict independent of total cost or financial terms.
Insert Date- Page 1 - Insert Bid Number
INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS
To conform to the requirements of this Request for Proposal you must complete all items in the format as outlined.
REQUIRED EXHIBITS are noted in BOLD throughout the document.
Questions are to be answered completely and in the order listed.
VENDOR & PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS
CURRICULUM
- Provide a detailed list ofeach lesson including lesson topic and length.
- Provide a screen capture of the ‘home screen’ where the lessons are listed on the menu.
- Place in supporting documents section as Exhibit A.
CURRICULUM CHOICES
- What is the name of the software program you are proposing?
______
- Do you have other software programs that could also be considered in the future?
If so, what is/are the name(s) of the other titles and purpose for them?
______
______
______
DETAILED CURRICULUM QUESTIONS
- Does your curriculum provide a detailed pre-drive assessment drive to establish baseline skill level? ______
If so, describe this capability. ______
______
- Does you curriculum provide a post-training assessment drive to assess improvement?______
- Does your curriculum have a lesson specifically on distracted driving dangers?______What lesson number? ______
- Does your curriculum require a numerical passing score to complete a lesson? ______
If yes, explain what it measure and how it is scored.______
______
- A. Does your system offer “real time violation” scoring and feedback such that they know what they are doing wrong as they are driving? ______
B. How are those violations shown on the screen? ______(include screen shot)
IMPORTANT: Attach a list of all violations that are measured in real-time as the driver completes the lessons.
- Does your curriculum include these extra dangerous situations: Yes or No, (if yes, what lesson)
Hydroplaning ______
Managing Intersections ______
Dynamic Following Distance Lesson ______
Speed Control ______
Pedestrian Distractions______
Specialty Vehicle Awareness (ambulances, police, school buses) ______
Safe Zones around Semi-Trucks ______
Managing Bike Lanes ______
- Does your hardware system include force feedback (driver feels effect in the wheel) for a realistic experience when driving in these situations:
Yes or No
Slipping in rainor snow (slipping, skidding and spin outs) ______
Hydroplaning on wet roads (momentary loss of tire traction) ______
Bumpy roads, crossing railroad tracks, hitting curbs ______
Collisions with other cars, animals or pedestrians ______
- List any other lessons you think are particularly important for a less experienced driver to experience.
______
______
PARENTAL ACCESS TO WEB CONTENT
Studies have shown that a key indicator to teen driver safety is the active involvement of a parent, guardian or adult mentor.
- In what way does your product offer, encourage or involve a parent, guardian or adult mentor to better understand and reinforce what is being taught on the simulator?
______
______
______
IMPORTANT:
Include a screen shot of the program menu, a brief movie of the program in action and the web link to the program
- Is the parental component a separate program? (y/n) ______
- Is there an additional charge for this product? ______If yes, at what price?______
SOFTWARE FUNCTIONALITY
DRIVING ENVIRONMENT MASTER VIEW
INCLUDE OVERHEAD VIEW OF SIZE SPECIFICATIONS FOR YOUR ENTIRE CONTINUOUSLY DRIVABLE MAP AREA______
DRIVING ENVIRONMENTS
Yes or No
CITY ______
COMMERCIAL______
RESIDENTIAL______
HIGHWAY______
HIGHWAY OFF/ON RAMPS ______
RURAL______
MOUNTAINOUS______
PARKING LOT______
OFF-ROAD______
RAILROAD CROSSING______
SCHOOL ZONES ______
ROUNDABOUTS ______
LIST SELECTABLE CONDITIONS
SNOW______
RAIN______
THUNDERSTORM______
FOG______
SUN______
NIGHTTIME______
VIRTUAL LEARNING TECHNIQUES IMPLEMENTED
Aside from simply driving, list any unique teaching methods your software provides to reinforce effective learning.
______
______
______
______
Specifically, does your software provide accurate “physics” effects (such as spin out, overturning, skidding)? ______
TRAFFIC INTELLIGENCE
- Is the traffic “randomized” such the taking the same lesson again introduces different traffic, obstacles and hazards. ______
- If yes, include screen shots from the same scene with different traffic patterns shown.
- What is the maximum number of active, moving vehicles at any given time?______
GUIDANCE AND ROUTE ASSISTANCE
If a driver makes a wrong turn on the way to their destination does your system provide an intelligent position (GPS) or does it make them start the lesson over? ______
SOFTWARE UPDATES
1. Do you offer free updates? (Y/N) ______
2. How many releases have there been for this product in the last 12 months? List
version numbers below:
______
3. How are updates distributed? ______
Provide a copy of the two (2) most current update release notes for your products.
HARDWARE FUNCTIONALITY
- Which hardware system are you recommending and why?______
Given the length of time, these systems will be in service we will only consider the most
recent hardware and operating systems.
- OS: Are your systems Windows 10? ______
- Driver Controls: Are your systems Logitech G920? ______
- Monitors: Are your monitors full HD resolution? ______
- Are there additional system options you are recommending?______
(Include photos and brochure for each)
DESKTOP MODELS / FULL CAB MODELS3 Screen / 1 Screen / 3 Screen / 1 Screen
INSERT A PHOTO / INSERT A PHOTO / INSERT A PHOTO / INSERT A PHOTO
DESKTOP MODELS
Description
______
______
FULL CAB MODELS
Description
______
______
- Do your full cab models have the option for including a lap seat belt? ______
- What steering system, name and model # are used by your system?______
COMPUTING PERFORMANCE
- What is the CPU type and speed of the system?______
- What is the RAM capacity of the system?______
- What is the speed of the graphics card in the system?______
- What operating system and generation is used in your system?______
NETWORKING CAPABILITY (WIRELESS NETWORKING REQUIRED)
- Are your systems able to be networked togetherwired / wirelessly?______
- Do the systems arrive configured for wireless networking? ______
- Do you offer a dedicated instructor station to view / edit / create reports? ______
- Are the reports able to be accessed via the internet from a different district location?______
TEACHER ADMINISTRATIVE TOOLS & CONTROLS
- What is the name of your driver management reporting product? ______
- In what formats can the driver & class data be exported?______
- Can the teacher see a numerical score by lesson by student?______
PRODUCT SUPPORT CAPABILITIES
- Do you offer a video tutorial and instructions for hardware set up? _____
If yes, include video or web site
- Do you offer a manual of product hardware setup? ______
If yes, include manual, video or link to PDF
- Provide toll free number and customer support director name and contact info
Name:______
Title:______
Direct Number:______
Toll Free Number______
Location:______
4. List your three largest customers in the United States and the quantity of systems they have from your company.
1)______
2)______
3)______
- Provide testimonials, references or quotes made by your customers specifically about your products and services.
______
- Do you offer a single point of contact for all troubleshooting or do you use a third party vendor for support? (y/n) ______
- Is there a full one year warranty on ALL parts (not just the computer)? (y/n) ______
- Is there an extended service contract available beyond the first year for a minimum investment? (y/n) ______
COMPANY REQUIREMENTS ANDINFORMATION
- Parent Company Ownership (DUNS number) ______
- Is the company partially or completely owned by a non U.S. based entity?
If so, what company has controlling interest?______
- Does this product comply with the Buy American Act? ______
EXECUTIVE BACKGROUND
Include executive bios for the following positions
(Must include physical office location; length of time with your company; contact information including phone and e-mail)
CEO and/or President
VP – Development
PRICING
Provide a list of models that are being proposed.
For each provide:
- Cost of each without any options
- Cost of each with available options (provide detail on any option)
- Detailed description of monitor size, aspect ratio and resolution
Volume pricing options list:
- Provide volume pricing each for a quantity of _5_
- Provide volume pricing each for a quality of ______
- Provide volume pricing each for a quality of ______
PARTIAL VENDOR LIST
(Based on Google Search of “teen driving simulators” October 2015)
Note: Company and contact information and search results may vary
IN ORDER OF SEARCH RESULTS
Virtual Driver Interactive, Inc.
4505 Golden Foothill Parkway
El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
(877) 746-8332
Doron Precision Systems
P.O. Box 400
Binghamton, NY 13902
(607) 772-1610
Drive Square, Inc.
3213 Duke St., Suite 656
Alexandria, VA 22314
(877) 224-7708
ECA FAROS (France)
Parc Pégase
Rue Blaise Pascal
22300 Lannion - France
Phone: +33 (0)296 48 46 47
(US Subsidiary) Simulator Systems Intl http://simulatorsystems.com/about/
5358 S. 125th East Ave.
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74146
800-843-4764
MEDIA & REQUIRED SUPPORT DOCUMENTS
Insert Date- Page 1 - Insert Bid Number