States Invited to Participate in Ed Tech Cooperative

The State of Maine Department of Education’s Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) is leading a multi-state procurement process. The multi-state effort is being carried out in coordination with all the participating National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) members, on an as-requested basis, at various locations throughout the geographic regions of all participating NASPO members. This multi-state group, led by the State of Maine, has a requirement for equipment and services to empower a wireless student-centered, digital learning environment.

The MLTI is the nation's first statewide 1:1 student computing program. Over 150,000 students have participated in the program since its inception in 2002. This procurement seeks the next generation solution for Maine's 1:1 program with an anticipated deployment for the fall of 2013. The states of Hawaii and Vermont have joined Maine to develop this cooperative purchasing opportunity, and other states have expressed interest in participation as well. States may join the cooperative by submitting a letter of Intent to Participatefrom their state's procurement director to NASPO.

States may join the cooperative at anytime, but to be included in the RFP, letters of Intent to Participate should be submitted to NASPO no later than December 12, 2012. School districts should contact their State Procurement division to discuss their state's plans. Completed proposals are due from the vendors on January 11, and results of the RFP process are expected by the end of January.

To download a copy of the Request For Proposals and learn more about the procurement, please visit http://www.maine.gov/mlti/rfp/