121962 O3 F.H. Cann & Associates inc..pdf

Submitted to:

Kyle McConnell, Procurement Contract Officer Nebraska Department of Labor 550 South 16th Street Lincoln, NE 68508

Submitted by:

F.H. Cann & Associates, Inc.

1600 Domain Drive, Suite 3058 North Andover MA 01845

(877) 750-9801 RFP@fhcann.com

RFP# 121962 O3

Due: June 27, 2025 2pm CT

State of Nebraska Department of Labor RFP#121962 O3 for Services Contract

1600 Osgood Street, Suite 3058 | North Andover, MA 01845 100 Domain Drive Suite 200, Exeter, NH 03833 7550 W. Interstate 10, San Antonio, TX 78229 Tel 877-750-9801 | Fax 877-874-7697 www.fhcann.com

June 27, 2025 Kyle McConnell, Procurement Contract Officer Nebraska Department of Labor 550 South 16th Street Lincoln, NE 68508

Subject: Request for Proposal (RFP) 121962 O3 for Services Contract

Dear Kyle McConnell and Evaluation Committee Members for the State of Nebraska Department of Labor:

F.H. Cann & Associates, Inc. (FHC) is enthusiastic to submit our offer to the State of Nebraska Department of Labor (NDOL) in accordance with Request for Proposal for Services Contract solicitation number 121962 O3. FHC celebrates 25 years providing seamless contact center solutions—collaborating with government agencies of all sizes to deliver significant data-driven results. We offer our expertise to further improve the NDOL contact center to assist Nebraskans navigate the complex process of unemployment insurance with customer service representatives (CSRs) who are more knowledgeable, accurate, and empathic than your incumbent and other bidders. Our highlights and differentiators include:

■ Unemployment Insurance Call Center Experts: FHC has been a trusted partner with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (MA), Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, Department of Unemployment Assistance (MA DUA) for the last five years, providing full service contact center support with over 200 customer service representatives (CSRs). We have managed multiple Unemployment Insurance (UI) call center projects and propose to staff your call center with our resident UI CSR experts to provide best-in-class knowledge and service for Nebraska claimants.

■ Experienced Key Personnel: Our Key Personnel have experience managing a 200+ CSR contact center for unemployment insurance over the past five years and boast 225+ years of combined industry experience.

■ Trusted Contact Center Partner: We have extensive prior experience with more than 30 relevant contracts across multiple State Agencies and Departments, including MA DUA, the State of Illinois Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), State of New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), MA Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), MA Department of Revenue (DOR), the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) expansive Next Gen omnichannel call center, and others that meet the same or similar contact center requirements.

■ Commitment to Quality Care: FHC consistently boasts a #1 ranking for client scorecards and Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) surveys. Our training department consists of five corporate trainers to ensure our agents are highly skilled at providing gold standard customer service to Nebraska constituents.

■ Seamless Implementation: We pride ourselves on approaching each client project with focus and vigor, performing all heavy lifting during implementation and achieving milestones at or before their expected dates. We offer NDOL a low risk, worry-free transition period into superior services from those of your incumbent and other bidders.

■ Comprehensive Information Security Management Program: FHC has a comprehensive Information Security Management Program that goes beyond what is required to safeguard personally identifiable information (PII) and Federal Tax Information (FTI). FHC has passed rigorous security and compliance audits; ensuring your data is safe and secure when placed with

FHC.

1600 Osgood Street, Suite 3058 | North Andover, MA 01845 100 Domain Drive Suite 200, Exeter, NH 03833 7550 W. Interstate 10, San Antonio, TX 78229 Tel 877-750-9801 | Fax 877-874-7697 www.fhcann.com

■ Collaboration with NDOL: We bring innovative technologies, best practices, strategies, and lessons learned on similar unemployment insurance contracts to further refine and improve the NDOL contact center, resulting in superior performance and customer satisfaction for your constituents.

With our expertise working other, larger UI call center projects, FHC leverages our proven winning methodologies to improve wait times, boost customer satisfaction levels, and swiftly adjust to volume spikes without compromising our commitment to provide the best customer service available to your claimant callers who are typically dealing with stressful financial and household circumstances against the backdrop of income loss. Our UI CSR experts handle these calls with empathy, compassion, accuracy, and efficiency.

Highlighting our commitment to quality and customer care, our vision is a collaborative partnership with NDOL focused on continuous programmatic refinement for successful future state outcomes while consistently improving the customer experience journey for your residents. We offer unparalleled, highly trained UI expert CSRs and project management, underscored by our commitment to Focused, Holistic, Customer Care. Thank you for the opportunity to submit our proposal.

I am the individual empowered and duly authorized to bind F.H. Cann & Associates, Inc. Should you have any questions about our response, or the company, please feel free to contact me toll free at (877) 750‐ 9801, rfp@fhcann.com, or directly at (978) 215‐3602 and scann@fhcann.com.

For ease of reading, we recommend that evaluators read Attachment #1, Required Bidders Responses in the Excel formula bar for the correct formatting and to ensure all content is viewed as our responses are comprehensive.

Our proposal contains proprietary confidential information about new initiatives that are currently undergoing beta testing at FHC using pioneering AI technologies. The release of this information could cause harm to use by exposing our trade secrets. Please refer to 121962 O3 FHC File 4 or 6 solicitation response to access this information we think you will find truly innovative.

Furthermore, FHC’s financial statements are strictly confidential and not for public release.

Sincerely, Sheri A. Cann President/CEO mailto:scann@fhcann.com

RFP 121962 03 Services Contract www.fhcann.com iv June 27, 2025

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

121962 O3 FHC FILE 1 OF 1 SOLICITATION RESPONSE

1. CORPORATE OVERVIEW

1.1. About F.H. Cann and Associates, Inc. (FHC)

1.1.1. Certified Woman-owned Business Enterprise (WBE)

1.1.2. Memberships

1.1.3. Diverse Work Force

1.1.4. Industry Recognition

1.1.5. Community Outreach

1.1.6. Benefits to NDOL

1.2. Bidder Identification and Information

1.3. Financial Statements

1.4. Change of Ownership

1.5. Office Location

1.6. Relationship with the State of Nebraska

1.7. FHC Employee Relations to the State of Nebraska

1.8. Contract Performance

1.9. Summary of FHC Corporate Experience

1.9.1. Summary Matrix of Similar Projects

1.9.2. Call Center References

1.9.3. FHC Company Culture

1.10. Summary of Proposed Personnel/Management Approach

1.10.1. Sara Alosa – Account Manager

1.10.2. Ernesto Bencosme – Alternate Account Manager

1.10.3. Robert Gauthier – Manager of Contact Center Services

1.10.4. Jeffrey Murphy – Manager of Development

1.10.5. Michael Beatty, Esq. – Manager of Compliance

1.10.6. Lisa Reams – Manager of Contact Center training

1.10.7. FHC Executive Team

1.11. Subcontractors

2. TECHNICAL RESPONSE

2.1. Understanding of the Business Requirements

2.1.1. Contractor Location and Eligibility

2.1.2. Personal Protected Information

2.1.3. FHC’s Compliance Department

2.1.4. Quality Management System (QMS)

2.1.5. Quality Control Plan

2.1.6. Call Monitoring and Quality Control

2.1.7. Speech Analytics

2.1.8. Manual Call Audits / Scorecards

www.fhcann.com v June 27, 2025

2.1.9. Internal Audit Program

2.2. Turnkey Solution

2.2.1. CRM Solution and NDOL Access

2.2.2. Service Hours

2.2.3. Oversight and Management of Staff

2.2.4. Hiring and Onboarding Process

2.2.5. Background Checks and Hiring Practices

2.2.6. Bilingual Agents and Interpretation Services

2.2.1. Inbound Call Handling and Claims Inquiries

2.2.2. Dialer System and Callback Scheduling

2.2.3. Integration with NDOL Systems

2.2.4. Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System

2.2.5. Performance Monitoring

2.2.6. Staffing and Training Requirements

2.2.7. Recruitment Mobilization

2.2.8. Ongoing Staffing and Performance Monitoring

2.2.9. Staffing to Exceed KPIs

2.2.10. Training

2.2.11. FHC In-house Trainers

2.2.12. Training Methods

2.2.13. Training Procedures and Schedules

2.2.14. On-The-Job Training

2.2.15. Training Tools

2.2.16. Training Topics

2.2.17. Report Requirements

2.3. Detailed Project Work Plan

2.3.1. Work Plan Methodology

2.3.2. Project Management and Work Plan

2.3.3. Communication Plan:

2.3.4. Scope Management

2.4. Deliverables and Due Dates

2.5. Attachment #1: Required Bidder Responses

2.6. Attachment #2: Cost Proposal

APPENDICES

A: Original Contractual Agreement Form B: Signed Sections II through IV C: Certificate of Insurance D: Sample KPI Reports

E: Sample Call Center Reports F: Reference Letters G: FHC Resumes H: Work Plan IMS Project Schedule www.fhcann.com vi June 27, 2025

ATTACHMENTS

1. 121962 O3 FHC File 1 of 7 - Technical Response

2. 121962 O3 FHC File 2 of 7 - Attachment #1 Required

Bidder Responses (Excel)

3. 121962 O3 FHC File 3 of 7 - Attachment #2 Completed

Cost Sheet

4. 121962 O3 FHC File 4 of 7 - Proprietary Information

5. 121962 O3 FHC File 5 of 7 - Financial Statements

6. 121962 O3 FHC File 6 of 7 - Banking Letter of Reference

7. 121962 03 FHC File 7 of 7 Citizen Attestation Form

TABLES

Table 1: FHC Business Certifications Table 2: FHC Call Center, BPO, and Collections Historical Snapshot Table 3: FHC Bidder Identification Table 4: Matrix of Similar Projects Table 5: Sara Alosa References Table 6: Ernesto Bencosme References Table 7: Robert Gauthier References Table 8: Jeffrey Murphy References Table 9: Michael Beatty References Table 10: Lisa Reams References Table 11: FHC Executive Team Table 12: Examples Of Client Software FHC Used To Implement And Support Client Projects Table 13: FHC Upstaffing Examples Table 14: Recruitment Mobilization Efforts Table 15: Training Topics for NDOL CSRs Table 16: Deliverables and Due Dates for the NDOL UI Call Center

FIGURES

Figure 1: IT Organizational Chart Figure 2: Organizational Chart Compliance Department Figure 3: FHC’s Compliance and Quality Programs Figure 4: TCN Analytics Dashboard View Figure 5: SpeechIQ Customer Sentiment View Figure 6: FHC Four-Pronged Call Monitoring Figure 7: CRM Main Menu Window Figure 8: Claimant History View www.fhcann.com vii June 27, 2025

Figure 9: Data Visualization and Reporting Capabilities Figure 10: TCN IVR Layout Figure 11: Customer Survey Development Screen www.fhcann.com 1 June 27, 2025

121962 O3 FHC FILE 1 OF 1 SOLICITATION RESPONSE

1. CORPORATE OVERVIEW

a. The ability, capacity, and skill of the bidder to deliver and implement the system or project that meets the requirements of the Solicitation;

This proposal outlines our approach to delivering high-quality, responsive, and data-driven inbound call center services in support of the state of Nebraska Department of Labor (NDOL) Unemployment Insurance (UI) program.

With twenty five years of experience and a key personnel team with over 225 years of experience, our team exceeds the State and NDOL’s goals throughout the life of the contract. Our solution is designed to ensure claimants receive clear, accurate assistance while strengthening NDOL’s operational oversight and service outcomes that include consistent, high quality support driven by efficient and effective claimant services.

We are a national leader in the contact center, collections, and business process outsourcing (BPO) space, with three office locations in Texas, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. We have the capacity and flexibility to support anticipated volume surges and ebbs associated with most UI call centers. FHC currently has approximately 1,000 employees, but our numbers fluctuate higher to 1,200 during seasonal peaks. Our explosive growth is a result of providing best-in-class quality services and constantly investing in our employees and industry leading technology to outperform and outclass the competition.

We offer you a first-tier call center staffed with Unemployment Insurance subject matter experts, capable of resolving inquiries with efficiency and empathy. We offer NDOL access to our robust customer relationship management (CRM) software Artiva, allowing us to leverage internal scheduled callback functionality and access to detailed notes and call dispositions regarding claimant conversations, providing a seamless experience for all NDOL call center personnel.

For more complex issues requiring NDOL staff input, we implement a comprehensive callback scheduling system, ensuring that no claimant concern is left unaddressed. This structured escalation model helps NDOL allocate resources efficiently while maintaining claimant confidence. For consideration, we offer Tier II CSRs on other UI call center projects, reducing potential bottlenecks associated with scheduling claimant callbacks.

To elevate the claimant experience, our operations prioritize minimizing wait times, fast response rates, and transparent communication—especially when callbacks are necessary. Our team is committed to maintaining high claimant satisfaction through courteous, solution-focused interactions, and analyzing feedback from our customer satisfaction surveys (CSATs).

In support of performance oversight, we deliver comprehensive and timely reporting that includes call volume, resolution rates, callback statuses, and service level agreement (SLA) compliance. Our platform www.fhcann.com 2 June 27, 2025 enables real-time visibility into staff performance, allowing NDOL to monitor critical indicators such as abandoned calls, speed to answer, customer satisfaction, and first-call resolution.

1.1. ABOUT F.H. CANN AND ASSOCIATES, INC. (FHC)

b. The character, integrity, reputation, judgment, experience, and efficiency of the bidder;

FHC is a proven contact center, collections, and BPO provider that specializes in government call center contracts, partnering with hundreds of clients across the country.

We are a privately held S corporation that began in Massachusetts as a small start-up in 1999 with one client and a handful of employees. As a certified Women-owned Business in Massachusetts, Owner and CEO Sheri A. Cann has overseen the dramatic expansion of FHC since our foundation by championing FHC’s mission of Focused, Holistic, Customer Care – our commitment to providing best in class call center customer service to our state government partners and their communities.

FHC is an experienced service provider for Unemployment Insurance call center operations. In this section we have included WBE certifications, memberships, diversity initiatives, awards, community outreach, and other corporate attributes that highlight our character and commitment to ethical service delivery and showcase the benefits of selecting FHC as your partner. In section 1.9 we have provided examples of contracts of similar scope that showcase our integrity in handling sensitive claimant information, reputation for reliability and professionalism, judgment in managing complex and high-volume inquiries, experience in delivering similar public sector services, and efficiency in meeting performance metrics such as call resolution times and customer satisfaction.

FHC fosters a company culture that emphasizes respect, professionalism, collaboration, and employee appreciation. Our values drive high CSR retention, which in turn provides seasoned CSRs to staff the NDOL UI call center.

1.1.1. CERTIFIED WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (WBE)

As a certified WBE, FHC is fully aware of the importance of supporting historically underutilized organizations. We look for opportunities to partner with other minority owned businesses whenever possible and have implemented a Supplier Diversity Program Plan. FHC is certified as woman-owned by every state agency that does not contain a requirement to be a small business in order to be certified as woman-owned.

Table 1: FHC Business Certifications

FHC Diversity Certifications Certification Description

North Central Texas Woman Business Enterprise (WBE)

FHC is certified by the North-Central Texas Regional Certification Agency Arlington, Texas a Woman Business Enterprise (WBE).

South Central Texas

Enterprise (WBE)

FHC is certified by the South-Central Texas Regional Certification Agency of Bexar County, Texas a Woman Business Enterprise (WBE).

www.fhcann.com 3 June 27, 2025

New Jersey Woman Owned Enterprise (WBE)

FHC is a Women-Owned Enterprise certified from the Division of Revenue & Enterprise Service.

North Dakota Women Owned Business (WOB)

FHC is a Women-Owned Enterprise certified from the North Dakota Women’s Business Center.

City of Philadelphia Woman Business Enterprise (WBE)

FHC is a Woman Business Enterprise certified from the City of Philadelphia’s, Office of Economic Opportunity.

Tennessee Woman Owned Business (WOB)

FHC is a certified WOB from the Tennessee Governor’s Office of Diversity Business Enterprise.

Vermont Minority / Women Owned Business Enterprises (WBE)

FHC is certified with the Vermont Office of Purchasing and Contracting.

Virginia Small, Women-owned, and Minority-owned Business (SWaM)

FHC is a Women-owned Business (SWaM) certified from the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity.

State of West Virginia

Enterprise (WBE)

FHC is certified as a Woman Business Enterprise by the State of West Virginia, Department of Administration and Purchasing Division.

FHC Diversity Certifications Certification Description

Delaware Woman Business Enterprise

(WBE)

FHC is WBE certified with the Delaware Division of Small Business

Illinois Women Business Enterprise (WBE)

FHC is certified with the Illinois Business Enterprise Program (BEP) for Minority, Females, and Persons with Disabilities.

Massachusetts Woman Business Enterprise

(WBE)

FHC is recognized as a Woman Business Enterprise (WBE) by the Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office.

www.fhcann.com 4 June 27, 2025

Statewide Uniform Certification Program Historically Underutilized Business (HUB)with the State of North Carolina

FHC is certified as a Historically Underutilized Business firm with the state of North Carolina, listed in the Statewide Uniform Certification (SWUC) Program database. The HUB office collaborates with local Minority/Women/Small Businesses.

1.1.2. MEMBERSHIPS

FHC is a proud and active member of various professional organizations related to contact center, BPO, and account receivables management services. Maintaining these memberships keeps FHC updated on regulatory updates affecting our industries, enhanced processes, and other topics of interest. We share this knowledge with our clients and staff. Our memberships include:

■ Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) – SHRM is the world’s largest HR professional society, representing 285,000 members in more than 165 countries.

■ The International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) – IAPP is the largest and most comprehensive global information privacy community and resource, committed to assisting organizations manage and protect their data.

■ Student Loan Servicing Alliance (SLSA) – SLSA strives to support the continuing enhancement and streamlining of student loan servicing laws, regulations, and practices to benefit our clients, borrowers and improve the value of higher education.

■ Association of Credit and Collection Professionals (ACA International) – Founded in 1939, ACA International is a comprehensive, knowledge-based resource for success in the credit and collection industry.

■ Compliance Professionals Forum (CPF) – CPF is a membership organization that helps compliance professionals navigate the complex and fast-changing world of regulatory oversight.

■ Massachusetts Collectors and Treasurers Association (MCTA) – MCTA is dedicated to the education and ongoing professional development of the treasurers and CSRs serving Massachusetts residents.

■ Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce – The Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce is the region’s most successful and most influential business resource network, serving over 1,000 companies within the communities of Andover, Greater Haverhill, Lawrence, Greater Lowell, Methuen, North Andover, and Southern New Hampshire.

■ Receivables Management Association International (RMAI) – Receivables Management Association International represents companies that support the purchase, sale, and collection of performing and nonperforming receivables. They set receivables management industry standard and are the authoritative voice in advocacy, championing professional and ethical business practices.

www.fhcann.com 5 June 27, 2025

1.1.3. DIVERSE WORK FORCE

At FHC, we believe in strength through diversity. Over 6% of our 1,000 employees are disabled, and we aggressively recruit bilingual Spanish-speaking CSRs so that NDOL callers can speak in their native language when discussing stressful and sometimes confusing claims processes with our CSRs. Under Massachusetts call center projects for the Department of Unemployment (DUA) and Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) which each employed hundreds of CSRs, FHC maintained a 25% Spanish bilingual CSR cohort to best serve customers in their native language. We easily adapt to your requirement to provide 10% Spanish bilingual CSRs for this opportunity. We also attend and promote events that honor our nation’s Veterans who proudly served our country, and recruit for Veteran Employees.

In addition to being a woman owned company, 78% of FHC’s workforce is female, and 76% of our workforce are minorities.

1.1.4. INDUSTRY RECOGNITION

FHC has received several awards including:

■ CEO Views Award: In 2022, FHC was named one of the most influential companies of the year, based on our use of innovative technologies and emotional intelligence.

■ Inc. 5000: FHC was named in the top 5000 most successful private companies in the country.

■ Best of North Andover: In 2020, FHC was awarded in the Financial Institution category.

■ Massachusetts Economic Impact: FHC was recognized for job growth, facility expansion, investment, and community involvement.

■ Perseverance Award: FHC was recently recognized by the regional chamber of commerce for our contributions to the local community and championing those who persevere over adversity.

1.1.5. COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Frank H. Cann, Jr. and his wife, Sheri A. Cann founded FHC in 1999 with the core value that their family business would give back to the community by assisting people in need. Through the years, we have honored this core value by focusing our community involvement on families facing poverty, youth empowerment, medical advancements, as well as Veteran and First Responder support. FHC’s Helping Hands campaign aims to give back over $100,000 to our community through charitable donations yearly.

FHC regularly contributes to charities and awards multiple scholarships for thousands of dollars each year to ambitious students in underserved communities. We believe that companies have an obligation to be socially responsible and have molded our actions to positively impact our clients, communities, and employees. We are proud to give back to the communities in which we live and serve including, but not limited to:

■ Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation – The Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation provides grassroots programming and strategic funding to local organizations serving at risk or at need youth populations.

www.fhcann.com 6 June 27, 2025

■ Boston Celtics “Working on Womanhood Program” – WOW is a school-based, trauma informed group counseling program that helps young girls achieve personal and future career success.

■ The Lazarus House Ministries – Lazarus House offers five essential service areas: Shelter, Clothing, Food, Advocacy, and Community Resources.

■ Catie’s Closet – Catie’s Closet is a non-profit organization that provides clothes, toiletries, and other essentials to students and their caretakers conveniently and discreetly at their schools for those living in poverty.

■ The Movement Family – Provides homeless support services including weekly dinner for the homeless.

■ Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness and O2Breathe Boston Walk.

■ Veterans Assisting Veterans – A non-profit group of veterans in Massachusetts that assist veterans nationwide.

■ Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s – Annual walk held in Massachusetts and 600 communities nationwide.

■ Toys for Tots – The program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve which distributes Christmas toys to children in need.

■ Emmaus House Homeless Shelter – Is a non-profit organization that provides emergency shelter and develops affordable housing in the help families and individuals facing homelessness rebuild their lives.

■ Family Promise of Seacoast – Works to empower families with children who are experiencing homelessness to achieve sustainable independence through a community-based response

c. Whether the bidder can perform the contract within the specified time frame;

As described in Section 2.3, FHC creates a detailed integrated master project schedule, and we have provided a draft as part of our response. This allows our Account Manager and Operations Team to develop goals and milestone dates with the State and NDOL stakeholders to ensure the call center services are performed with the specified time frame. We understand that the contract finalization period is August 15, 2025, through September 5, 2025, with an estimated contract award on September 10, 2025. Once we receive notification of award, we complete a kickoff call, begin recruitment, onboarding, training, and all integration needed for a start date of Oct. 1, 2025. Per answers to questions, there is no integration currently needed, but we are adept at interfacing and integrating with client partners should the need arise in the future.

Of note is that since we propose to staff your call center with existing UI CSR experts, recruiting and training times may be reduced, allowing us to reach the Go-Live milestone ahead of schedule.

Lastly, FHC has proven experience rapidly and smoothly implementing call centers for multiple state agencies. We have implemented call centers of similar complexity and greater size in only eight business www.fhcann.com 7 June 27, 2025 days under emergency circumstances for our state partners. We have never missed a project Go-Live milestone and typically finish ahead of schedule. For our Department of Education Next Gen omnichannel call center, we received an Authorization to Operate (ATO) four months ahead of schedule and four months before any other vendors on the contract.

d. The bidder’s historical or current performance;

FHC has been providing call center and BPO services for over 25 years. Our depth and breadth of experience speaks to our ability to provide claimant call center and callback scheduling support detailed in your RFP at an unparalleled level of service.

Since 1999, FHC has been able to collaborate and partner with over 200+ prestigious clients and organizations leveraging our experience, technology, and infrastructure to assist millions of customers.

Below is a snapshot of our history providing call center, BPO, and collections services.

Table 2: FHC Call Center, BPO, and Collections Historical Snapshot

FHC has similar and relevant experience as described in Section 1.9, including providing contact center services to support multiple state programs and various departments. Below we highlight several clients representing current FHC projects for federal, state, and municipal governments.

Service Types Max Scaled Staff Years Provided State Agency Call Center 600 CSRs 6 Years

Federal Agency Call Center 700 CSRs 21 Years Back Office Processing 150 Back-office Support agents 21 Years

Utility Call Center 75 CSRs 25 Years Utility Collections 75 Collectors 25 Years

Financial Collections 150 Collectors 25 Years Credit Loan Servicing 75 CSRs 16 Years

Retail Collections 50 Collectors 25 Years Higher Education Financing –

Collections 550 Collectors 25 Years

Higher Education Financing – Loan Servicing 350 CSRs 16 Years www.fhcann.com 8 June 27, 2025

Commonwealth of Massachusetts (MA) Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA): FHC performs call center staffing augmentation services very similar to the scope of this opportunity and greater in size by supporting 118k calls per month and providing over 200 expertly knowledgeable CSRs who assist distressed claimants with the unemployment insurance process.

State of New Hampshire (NH) Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS): We handle 55,000 calls monthly for the Bureau of Family Assistance and DHHS to provide inbound call center services to constituents, the majority of whom are compromised residents needing aid. We also provide appointment scheduling, assistance with forms, program qualification help, escalations, and general inquiries.

State of Illinois (IL) Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): Our CSRs field an average of 68,000 calls monthly while helping IL families navigate the complex application processes for home energy and water assistance. We also provide outbound calling and support brick and mortar locations within IL as an expanded scope of our contract.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of FSA Next Gen: We assist approximately 350,000 callers and chat inquiries monthly (17,500 per day) and perform 50,000 back office administrative tasks monthly. CSRs are required to understand multiple programs, and we offer Spanish bilingual CSRs to the Department.

FHC is the leading BPO provider on this contract, supporting the largest volume allocation between 4 BPOs based on superior SLA metrics and customer satisfaction levels.

FHC also has call center experience with the states of Virginia, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Jersey industries, and for the U.S. Department of Education under the expansive Next Gen contract.

e. such other information that may be secured and that has a bearing on the decision to award the contract.

1.1.6. BENEFITS TO NDOL

If selected for award, FHC will become a trusted, accountable partner to NDOL, capable of improving claimant access, reducing administrative burden, and delivering insights that drive continuous improvement. Since we have more than five years of experience assisting other state agencies with UI call centers, our CSRs are better trained, more knowledgeable, and deftly handle more difficult claimant concerns. Our project team offers insights and lessons learned from other similar projects to drive your mission to provide efficient and effective call center services. Our approach delivers a comprehensive, responsive, and performance-driven solution that supports NDOL’s mission to serve UI claimants with efficiency and care. By combining high-quality first-tier call handling with a structured callback system, we ensure seamless issue resolution while preserving NDOL staff capacity for complex matters. Our commitment to prompt response times, transparent communication, and accessible reporting empowers www.fhcann.com 9 June 27, 2025

NDOL with real-time visibility into operations through daily reporting and live dashboards. Most importantly, this model enhances claimant access, reduces administrative strain, and provides actionable insights that fuel continuous service improvement—making us a trusted and accountable partner every step of the way.

Furthermore, we offer NDOL the ability to leverage our omnichannel contact center options, which include reaching claimants via their preferred communication channels which includes texts, emails, and paperless digital letter delivery.

Lastly, we pioneer innovative technologies, helping us stay at the forefront of call center vendors. Some of our cutting edge offerings include an automated speech analytics call monitoring system, an AI driven training tool called Zenarate that fast tracks CSR readiness by emulating more complex and difficult conversations regarding claims in a stress free learning environment, and the current development of our Confidential data.

Confidential data. Please see Attachment 121962 O3 FHC File 4 of 7, confidential item #1.

1.2. BIDDER IDENTIFICATION AND INFORMATION

The bidder should provide the full company or corporate name, address of the company's headquarters, website, entity organization (corporation, partnership, proprietorship), state in which the bidder is incorporated or otherwise organized to do business, year in which the bidder first organized to do business and whether the name and form of organization has changed since first organized.

Please see the following table for our information.

Table 3: FHC Bidder Identification

Full corporate name F.H. Cann & Associates, Inc.

Headquarters address 1600 Osgood Street, Suite 3058 North Andover, MA 01845

Website https://www.fhcann.com/ Entity organization Privately owned S corporation

State in which incorporated Incorporated in Massachusetts and licensed to do business in all 50 states and territories

Year first organized 1999 Changes in name or form of organization None

1.3. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The bidder should provide financial statements applicable to the firm. If publicly held, the bidder should provide a copy of the corporation's most recent audited financial reports and statements, and the name, address, and telephone number of the fiscally responsible representative of the bidder’s financial or banking organization.

If the bidder is not a publicly held corporation, either the reports and statements required of a publicly held corporation, or a description of the organization, including size, longevity, client base, areas of specialization and expertise, and any other pertinent information, should be submitted in such a manner that solicitation evaluators may reasonably formulate a determination about the stability and financial strength of the organization. Additionally, a non-publicly held firm should provide a banking reference.

https://www.fhcann.com/ www.fhcann.com 10 June 27, 2025

Please see the attached files: Attachment 121962 O3 FHC File 5 of 7 - Financial Statements” and “Attachment 121962 03 FHC File 6 of 7 - Banking Letter of Reference”

The bidder must disclose any and all judgments, pending or expected litigation, or other real or potential financial reversals, which might materially affect the viability or stability of the organization, or state that no such condition is known to exist.

No such condition is known to exist.

The State may elect to use a third party to conduct credit checks as part of the corporate overview evaluation.

FHC acknowledges and agrees to the States use of third party services to conduct credit checks as a part of the evaluation process.

1.4. CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP

If any change in ownership or control of the company is anticipated during the twelve (12) months following the solicitation response due date, the bidder should describe the circumstances of such change and indicate when the change will likely occur. Any change of ownership to an awarded bidder(s) will require notification to the State.

We expect no changes in ownership or control in the next 12 months.

1.5. OFFICE LOCATION

The bidder’s office location responsible for performance pursuant to an award of a contract with the State of Nebraska should be identified.

We expect the performance of work to take place at our newest office facility at 100 Domain Drive, Exeter, NH, This expansive hi-tech suite offers 56,000 square feet of office space, hosting up to 400 employees and offers an on campus café, gym, and onsite security officer.

Corporate Headquarters:

1600 Osgood Street, Suite 3058 North Andover, MA 01845

New Hampshire Office:

100 Domain Drive, Suite 200 Exeter, NH 03833

Texas Office:

7550 W Interstate 10 San Antonio, TX 78229

1.6. RELATIONSHIP WITH THE STATE OF NEBRASKA

The bidder should describe any dealings with the State over the previous (five) (5) years. If the organization, its predecessor, or any Party named in the bidder’s solicitation response has contracted with the State, the bidder should identify the contract number(s) and/or any other information available to identify such contract(s). If no such contracts exist, so declare.

FHC has had no dealings or contracts with the State in the previous 5 years.

1.7. FHC EMPLOYEE RELATIONS TO THE STATE OF NEBRASKA

If any Party named in the bidder’s solicitation response is or was an employee of the State within the past (twelve) (12) months, identify the individual(s) by name, State agency with whom employed, www.fhcann.com 11 June 27, 2025 job title or position held with the State, and separation date. If no such relationship exists or has existed, so declare.

If any employee of any agency of the State of Nebraska is employed by the bidder or is a subcontractor to the bidder, as of the due date for solicitation response submission, identify all such persons by name, position held with the bidder, and position held with the State (including job title and agency). Describe the responsibilities of such persons within the proposing organization. If, after review of this information by the State, it is determined that a conflict of interest exists or may exist, the bidder may be disqualified from further consideration in this solicitation. If no such relationship exists, so declare.

FHC has no named parties, employees, or subcontractors who are current or previous employees of the State of Nebraska.

1.8. CONTRACT PERFORMANCE

If the bidder or any proposed subcontractor has had a contract terminated for default during the past (five) (5) years, all such instances must be described as required below. Termination for default is defined as a notice to stop performance delivery due to the bidder’s non-performance or poor performance, and the issue was either not litigated due to inaction on the part of the bidder or litigated and such litigation determined the bidder to be in default.

It is mandatory that the bidder submit full details of all termination for default experienced during the past (five) (5) years, including the other Party's name, address, and telephone number. The response to this section must present the bidder’s position on the matter. The State will evaluate the facts and will score the bidder’s solicitation response accordingly. If no such termination for default has been experienced by the bidder in the past (five) (5) years, so declare.

If at any time during the past (five) (5) years, the bidder has had a contract terminated for convenience, non-performance, non-allocation of funds, or any other reason, describe fully all circumstances surrounding such termination, including the name and address of the other contracting Party.

FHC has had no contracts terminated for default, convenience, non-performance, non-allocation of funds, or any other reason in the past 5 years.

1.9. SUMMARY OF FHC CORPORATE EXPERIENCE

The bidder should provide a summary matrix listing the bidder’s previous projects similar to this Solicitation in size, scope, and complexity including call center services for government agencies, unemployment insurance programs or projects similar thereto. The State will use no more than three (3) narrative project descriptions submitted by the bidder during its evaluation of the solicitation response.

1.9.1. SUMMARY MATRIX OF SIMILAR PROJECTS

The following matrix of similar projects and call center references highlights our ability to help NDOL achieve your objectives to provide high-quality inbound call center services, effectively manage callbacks, increase customer satisfaction, understand call center operations, and enhance visibility and results.

Table 4: Matrix of Similar Projects

Project Title Size Scope Complexity Massachusetts Department of Unemployment

Assistance Contract #1

350 CSRs FHC CSRs provide Tier 1 and Tier 2 Support Services regarding the entire unemployment insurance claims process.

More complex than NDOL scope, as CSRs had to learn MA CRM and telephony (Five9).

www.fhcann.com 12 June 27, 2025

Project Title Size Scope Complexity Massachusetts Department of Unemployment

Assistance Contract #2

125 CSRs FHC CSRs provide Tier 1 and Tier 2 Support Services regarding the entire unemployment insurance claims process.

More complex than NDOL scope, as CSRs had to learn MA CRM and telephony (Five9).

Massachusetts Department of Unemployment

Assistance Contract #3

150 CSRs FHC CSRs provide Tier 1 and Tier 2 Support Services regarding the entire unemployment insurance claims process.

More complex than NDOL scope, as CSRs had to learn MA CRM and telephony(Five9).

Massachusetts Department of Unemployment

Assistance Contract #4

200 CSRs FHC CSRs provide Tier 1 and Tier 2 Support Services regarding the entire unemployment insurance claims process.

More complex than NDOL scope, as CSRs had to learn new MA CRM and telephony (Five9).

New Hampshire Department of

Public Health and Human Services

50 CSRs FHC CSRs provide Tier 1 and Tier 2 Support Services regarding a wide variety of inquiries ranging from ACA/Medicaid to SNAP food benefits.

We use our telephony and CRM similar to this opportunity.

As or more complex than NDOL scope, as CSRs had to learn multiple different inquiry types, and assist underserved constituents to obtain various aid types.

Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS)

450 CSRs FHC Tier 1 CSRs handled inbound and outbound calls to schedule

COVID-19 vaccine appointments, counsel constituents as to the nearest vaccination center, and scheduled transportation to vaccination centers for the elderly and underserved who did not have their own means of transportation.

More complex than NDOL scope, as we onboarded 450 CSRs in eight days to support this emergency contract. FHC’s leadership team was agile, acting rapidly upon new information that emerged – sometimes hourly – throughout the pandemic.

State of Illinois Low Income Home

Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

Program Call Center

25 CSRs FHC Tier 1 CSRs support inbound calls helping residents navigate and complete application processes and direct them to the appropriate state agency. CSRs provide appointment reminders and schedule appointments for assistance with the following necessities: rent, food, temporary shelter, medicine, and weatherization.

As or more complex than NDOL due to the call centers multiple assistance programs, including

LIHEAP (for heating, gas, propane, and electricity aid), CSBG (for rent, food, shelter, medicine, and weatherization), and Low-Income Water Assistance

Program. Each program has distinct application processes and eligibility criteria, requiring specialized knowledge from CSRs.

Massachusetts Department of

Revenue

75 CSRs FHC handled calls from first responders and state employees for the premium pay program which allowed citizens that worked through the pandemic to receive payments from the State.

As or more complex than NDOL scope, as CSRs had to learn multiple different inquiry types, and assist first responders to obtain various aid types.

www.fhcann.com 13 June 27, 2025

1.9.2. CALL CENTER REFERENCES

The bidder should provide three (3) references for call center services provided. Include contact name, phone number, email address, length of relationship, and a brief overview of the services provided.

The bidder should address the following:

i. Provide narrative descriptions to highlight the similarities between the bidder’s experience and this Solicitation. These descriptions should include:

a) The time period of the project,

b) The scheduled and actual completion dates,

c) The bidder’s responsibilities,

d) For reference purposes, a customer name (including the name of a contact person, a current telephone number, a facsimile number, and e-mail address); and

e) Each project description should identify whether the work was performed as the prime Vendor or as a subcontractor. If a bidder performed as the prime Vendor, the description should provide the originally scheduled completion date and budget, as well as the actual (or currently planned) completion date and actual (or currently planned) budget.

ii. Bidder and Subcontractor(s) experience should be listed separately. Narrative descriptions submitted for Subcontractors should be specifically identified as subcontractor projects.

iii. If the work was performed as a subcontractor, the narrative description should identify the same information as requested for the bidders above. In addition, subcontractors should identify what share of contract costs, project responsibilities, and time period were performed as a subcontractor.

Please see the following tables for our references.

1.9.2.1. Reference 1 – Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA)

Customer and Type Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) – Emergency and non-emergency call center services to support the welfare of Commonwealth residents who are unable to timely access critical unemployment insurance benefits and services

Project Time Period

Contract 1: April 2020 – August 2022 (emergency), Contract 2: March 2023 – June 2023 (emergency), Contract 3: February 2025 – April 2025 (emergency), Contract 4: April 2025 – Ongoing (non-emergency/FHC awarded as Prime Contractor)

a. Completion Dates

Scheduled: As our first contract was under emergency situations against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, FHC was asked to complete full implementation (infrastructure, recruiting/hiring, and training within 2 weeks.

Actual: Eight Business Days

b. Narrative Description and FHC’s Responsibilities

• To establish the partnership between FHC and DUA in 2020, FHC CEO, Sheri Cann, met with Massachusetts Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, Rosalin Acosta, for FHC to provide emergency services.

• The size of our contracts includes staffing levels in accordance with DUA call volumes, with FHC supporting an average of 118k calls per month (5,911 daily).

Under our first contract with DUA, FHC provided contact center services with approximately 350 agents. Under our fourth and current contract with DUA, FHC is providing 200 knowledgeable Tier I agents under non-emergency circumstances as the prime contractor.

• Each of our DUA contracts include IT interface between FHC and DUA, proper configuration of agent workstations and DUA user access, expedited development of DUA-approved training materials within average of 2 business days, reporting and sometimes daily collaboration between FHC Program Management and DUA, quality assurance reviews, and expedited average staff ramp up schedule of 5 business days for English speaking and bilingual agents. Our example reporting provided is www.fhcann.com 14 June 27, 2025 used for this project. The agents on each of FHC’s DUA contracts demonstrated knowledge of MGL C 151A, knowledge of regulations and procedures associated with the claim process, and on multi campaign solutions.

On FHC’s Contractor Performance Evaluation Form dated 1/21/2021, FHC was rated Excellent in every category: Performance Elements, Quality of Services/Work, Timeliness of Performance, Business Relations, and Customer Satisfaction. During our first contract with DUA, another agency was phased out and DUA extended the contract with FHC providing an additional 250% in agents to accommodate the additional scale of work.

d. Contact Person

Name: Wendy Savary Title: Director of Claims & Appeals Phone: 774-454-6168 Fax: 617-626-5212 Email: wendy.savary@mass.gov

e. 1. Contract Type Prime e.2. Budget

Scheduled: N/A Actual: Emergency Contracts:

Contract #1 2020-2022: $36,192,411.65, Contract #2 2023: $1,741,610.77, Contract #3 2025: $2,299,352.64, Contract 4: Non-Emergency Contract 2025: $598,314.27 (to date as of this writing).

As a testament to our successes, MA DUA has provided FHC with a letter of reference showcasing our high level of quality commitment, saying “They have been instrumental in helping us achieve our customer service objectives, and we consider them a strategic partner,” among other additional feedback. For additional information, please see Appendix F: FHC Letter of Reference from MA DUA.

1.9.2.2. Reference 2 – State of Illinois Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Program Call Center

Customer and Type

State of Illinois Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Program Call Center – Call Center Services for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), helping constituents for the State of Illinois, where we specialize in assisting underserved, compromised citizens in support of a state-level contract.

a. Project Time Period 2021 – Ongoing

b. Completion Dates

Scheduled: To meet all implementation and staffing goals for the LIHEAP call center.

Actual: FHC met all implementation and staffing goals for the LIHEAP call center and supported the expansion of the contract to support Illinois residents with Water Utility Assistance through the Low-Income Water Assistance Program (LIWAP) and the LIHEAP hotline number to the Help Illinois Families hotline number. We now support all three lines of inquiry.

c. Narrative Description and Bidder’s Responsibilities

• The scope of work includes providing Call Center Services for heating, gas, propane, and electricity assistance under the State’s LIHEAP. Under the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program, FHC CSRs help residents navigate and complete application processes and direct them to the appropriate state agency. CSRs provide appointment reminders and schedule appointments for assistance with the following necessities: rent, food, temporary shelter, medicine, and weatherization.

www.fhcann.com 15 June 27, 2025

• FHC has collaborated with the state of Illinois to expand our project from the original scope of work…