Notice End Date: October 16, 2025

Vendor Name: Equifax

Contract Amount: 8,617,500

Agency Procurement Manager: Shaneka Oliver

Agency Procurement Manager Email: Shaneka.mcdaniel-oliver@dss.sc.gov

Agency Procurement Manager Telephone#: 803 898 81812

The Agency hereby provides notice that it entered into an emergency contract per S.C. Code Ann. §11-35-1570 with Vendor for the following supplies, services, information technology, or construction:

Equifax is the largest network of employment agencies at more than 641 million employers connected with them and with the new federal regulations that could cost the State of South Carolina between $70 million and $140 million dollars, this iwas the most advantageous methodology for the benefit and welfare of the agency. The critical economic emergency this procurement responded to includes the major changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) under the recently passed budget reconciliation package H.R.1 (aka, One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)). Currently, the federal government pays 100% of the cost of SNAP benefits. OBBBA established cost-sharing requirements for states beginning in federal fiscal year 2028. Starting in October 1, 2027, states with a payment error rate (PER) above 6% will be required to cost share in the SNAP benefit payments based on the states PER. This change in the SNAP cost-sharing requirement may have a fiscal impact on South Carolina between $70 million and 140 million annually. The goal of the services provided by Equifax-Employment Verification System is to assist the state in lowering the State Reported SNAP Payment Error rate by accurately reporting a household’s employment status (Employment Verification) and/or income (Income Verification) for the purposes of determining eligibility and benefit allotment for SNAP.

Agency's justification for this emergency procurement may be viewed or obtained at: Agency Procurement Manager (Listed Above)

PROTESTS:
Any actual or prospective bidder, offeror, contractor, or subcontractor aggrieved in connection with the intended award or award of this emergency contract, shall notify the appropriate chief Procurement officer in writing of its intent to protest within five (5) business days of the date this notice is posted. Any actual or prospective bidder, offeror, contractor, or subcontractor who is aggrieved in connection with the intended award or award of this emergency contract and has timely notified the appropriate chief procurement officer of its intent to protest, may protest to the appropriate chief procurement officer in the manner set forth below within fifteen days of the date this notice is posted; except that a matter that could have been raised as a protest of the solicitation may not be raised as a protest of the award or intended award of a contract.
A protest must be in writing, filed with the appropriate chief procurement officer, and set forth the grounds of the protest and the relief requested with enough particularity to give notice of the issues to be decided. The protest must be received by the appropriate chief procurement officer within the time provided above. Days are calculated as provided in S.C. Code Ann. § 11-35-310(13).

Any Notice Of Intent To Protest And Protest Must Be Addressed To: Materials Management Officer