Mississippi Department of, Information Technology Services, 301 North Lamar Street, Suite 508, Jackson, Mississippi 39201-1495

D -- ELECTRONIC BENEFITS TRANSFER (EBT) SYSTEM SOL RFP 2843 due 110196 for the MS Department of Human Services (MDHS) for the acquisition of the services of a full-service vendor as a turn-key vendor, experienced in electronic funds transfer (EFT) technology, bankcard technology and the installation and operating of a large-scale EFT Point of Sale (POS) System, or Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) System. This vendor will design, develop, implement and operate an on-line Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) system in the State of Mississippi to distribute Food Stamp (FS) benefits, Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), and provide the frame work for additional benefit programs. MDHS intends to enter into a firm fixed-price contract with a single vendor which will assemble and supervise a number of subcontractors to provide the services described below. The selected vendor will be responsible for providing transaction processing services, initial training of MDHS personnel; conversion training for approximately 179,000 FS and 49,000 AFDC recipients; initial and ongoing training for 4000 retailers with up to 6,600 POS devices; telecommunications lines and hook-ups; magnetic stripe cards; reports; reconciliation; recipient and retailer accounts and maintenance of system components. The vendor may also provide as an option a two-finger Automated Finger Print Identification System (AFIS) with digitized color photo of client to aid in preventing duplicate benefits and to insure that benefits are going to deserving clients. It is the intention of MDHS to sign a professional services contract for EBT services that will begin with a three month test period and expand to statewide services upon approval of the USDA/FCS and HHS/ACF. MDHS will offer the successful bidder a five year contract with an option to renew with two one-year contracts. There is No Charge for this RFP. A MANDATORY BIDDER'S CONFERENCE for all potential Bidders will be held in Jackson, MS on Tuesday, September 24, 1996 @ 9:30 A.M., Training Room B, MDHS Headquarters at 750 North State Street, to discuss the RFP and respond to questions. To be eligible to bid as proposed Prime Contractor, a company must send at least one agent or employee to the Mandatory Bidders' Conference. For further information about this RFP please contact Dr. Bob Martin, MDHS EBT Project Director at (601) 359-4561 or Mel Cordua at the MS Department of Information Technology Services at (601) 359-2631. Vendors may request RFPs with no charge by calling the Procurement Assistant at (601) 359-2604. The MS Department of Information Technology Services (ITS) reserves the right to reject any/all bids and to waive informalities. RFP due Friday, November 1, 1996 @ 3:30 p.m. (247)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0016 19960904\D-0002.SOL)