2-Technical Specifications.pdf

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION 2026

EMERGENCY SHELTER NIGHT SERVICES POOL

ON AN AS -NEED BASIS

INTENT

The County of Sussex (“County”) is soliciting proposals through Competitive Contracting, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:11-4.1 et seq., to establish a pool of qualified providers to supply emergency shelter night accommodations on an as-needed basis.

PURPOSE

The purpose is to create a flexible pool of shelter providers that the County may contact to secure temporary emergency shelter for eligible individuals and families.

FUNDING & CONTRACT LIMITATIONS

These services are funded through Social Services for the Homeless (SSH) grant funds. The payment is subject to funding availability and actual usage. The County makes no guarantee of volume.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

1. Service Description

2. Referral-Based System All clients shall be pre-screened, determined eligible, and referred directly by the County.

3. Vendor’s Responsibilities

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The Vendor shall provide safe, clean, and habitable shelter accommodations. The Vendor shall accept County referrals based on availability and shall notify the County of availability upon request. The Vendor shall maintain appropriate supervision and standards of the facility and shall comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

Approved Vendors shall attend the Human Services Advisory Council's monthly Homeless Coordination Subcommittee.

The Vendor shall provide temporary emergency shelter accommodations on a per-night basis for individuals or families referred by the County.

(SSH FUNDED)

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 2026

4. Exclusions

The Vendor shall not be responsible for client eligibility determination, HMIS or County data entry systems.

POOL STRUCTURE & ASSIGNMENT OF SERVICES

The County intends to establish a pool of qualified providers. Inclusion in this pool does not guarantee work.

Assignment of Services

The County shall assign shelter placements on an as-needed basis using the following non-exclusive factors:

• Provider Availability at the Time of Request

• Geographic Proximity to the Client

• Suitability of the Facility for the Client’s Needs

• Cost Considerations

• Past Performance (if applicable)

The County reserves the right to contact one or more providers in any order deemed appropriate to fulfill placement needs.

Selection for any placement shall not guarantee future assignments.

AUTHORIZATION REQUIREMENT

The Vendor shall only accept clients referred directly by the County. Reimbursement shall be limited to services authorized by the County in writing, unless otherwise ratified and approved by the County.

PAYMENT

Payment shall be made only for shelter nights actually utilized on an as-needed and County-authorized basis. All services shall be authorized by the County and properly documented. Invoices shall be submitted monthly with supporting documentation.

The County shall reserve the right to deny payment, in whole or in part, for any services that are non-compliant, duplicative, or not supported by documentation acceptable to the County.

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DOCUMENTATION AND RECORD KEEPING

The Vendor shall maintain records including:

• Dates of Stay

• Number of Individuals Served

• Rates Charged

All records shall be submitted with invoices and made available for audit.

Documentation shall be sufficient to verify services rendered and shall be deemed acceptable at the sole discretion of the County.

All records shall be retained for a minimum of five (5) years and shall be subject to audit by the County or funding agencies.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

A. Organizational Information:

a. Legal Business Name

b. Address

c. Contact Person

d. Years in Operation

e. Organization Type

B. Experience and Qualifications:

a. Description of Experience Providing Shelter or Similar Services

b. Years of Experience Providing Similar Services

c. Populations Served

d. Government or Grant Experience

C. Facility Description and Capacity:

a. Location(s)

b. Bed Capacity

c. Typical Availability

d. Types of Clients Accommodated

D. Availability and Response:

a. Method of Contact

b. Response Time

c. Hours of Operations

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E. Approach to Service Delivery:

a. Brief Description of Shelter Operations

b. Safety and Cleanliness Practices

F. References:

a. Provide a minimum of three (3) references for similar services performed for governmental entities, including contact information and a brief description of the services provided.

G. Licensing:

a. Provide any Applicable Licenses or Certifications

EVALUATION CRITERIA

A committee comprised of County staff will evaluate and rank all proposals, which comply with the above referenced requirements as outlined below. Proposals from Vendors that do not provide the above requirements may not be considered for evaluation or award.

As part of the RFP selection process the County reserves the right to solicit clarifications or additional information, which may take the form of requests for additional documentation, phone calls, in-person presentations, etc.

The County reserves the right to award contracts to any number of Respondents deemed to be in the best interest of the County.

The following criteria shall be used in evaluating the proposals:

CR ITERIA POINTS

EXPERIENCE AND

CAPABILITY 25

CAPACITY AND

AVAILABILITY 25

UNDERSTANDING OF

SERVICES 20

COST 15

COMPLIANCE AND

RESPONSIVENESS 15

TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS 100

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GRANT FUNDING AND COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS

This is anticipated to be funded in whole or in part through federal, state, or other grant funding sources.

The Vendor shall comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and grant requirements governing the services provided under this Agreement, including but not limited to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), and 42 CFR Part 2 where applicable.

The Vendor shall perform all services in accordance with all applicable requirements governing grant-funded projects and shall cooperate with the County in providing any documentation or information necessary to ensure compliance with applicable funding requirements.

The County reserves the right to incorporate additional grant compliance provisions into the final agreement as required by the funding source(s).

The Vendor shall maintain appropriate safeguards to protect the confidentiality and security of any information obtained in connection with this Agreement. The Vendor shall ensure that employees comply with such requirements.

The Vendor shall promptly notify the County of Sussex of any unauthorized disclosure or breach of such information.

Failure to comply with applicable grant requirements may result in suspension, termination, or other remedies available under the contract or applicable law.

PERFORMANCE AND REMOVAL

The County shall reserve the right to remove any provider from the pool for:

• Non-Performance

• Lack of Availability

• Non-Compliance

• Non-Responsiveness

• Unsatisfactory Performance

Performance metrics shall include response time to referrals, shelter availability, client satisfaction (if applicable), and adherence to County policies and procedures. The County will review performance quarterly and provide feedback to the vendor.

The County may suspend assignments to any provider pending review of performance issues.

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• The County Shall Reserve the Right to Reject any or all Proposals

• The County may Request Additional Information

• The County Shall Establish a Pool Consisting of as Many Qualified Providers as Deemed

Necessary to Meet its Needs.

• Inclusion in the Pool Shall Not Guarantee any Minimum Amount of Work, Compensation, or Number of Referrals

CONTRACT PERIOD

The contract resulting from this proposal shall commence on July 1, 2026, for a consecutive twelve (12) month period, with the County reserving the right to extend said contract for four

(4) additional and consecutive (1) one-year periods.

RESPONDENT’S INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

The respondent shall procure and maintain, at its own expense, the following minimum levels of insurance:

The respondent shall continuously maintain insurance, including professional liability or other security for adequate protection for all work from liability and shall protect the County for damages, liability or loss arising in connection with the contract. The respondent shall ensure coverage for damages, liability or loss arising in connection with the contract and services:

• WORKER'S COMPENSATION AND EMPLOYER'S LIABILITY INSURANCE with limits of not less than $1,000,000.00 shall be maintained in full force during the life of this contract by the respondent covering all employees engaged in performance of this contract pursuant to N.J.S.A. 34:15-12(a) and N.J.A.C.

12-235-1.6.

• GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE with limits of not less than $1,000,000.00 for Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability each occurrence and $3,000,000.00 General Aggregate shall be maintained in full force during the life of the contract by the respondent. The policy shall include respondent's protective liability insurance (also

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PER DIEM RATE

Each Respondent shall submit documentation supporting their proposed per diem rate for SSH Emergency Shelter services. Such documentation shall include, where applicable, any authorized or approved per diem rate issued by the New Jersey Division of Family Development.

Failure to submit adequate supporting rate documentation may render the proposal non-responsive and subject to rejection.

During the term of the contract, any increases to a Respondent’s per diem rate that are authorized or approved by the Division of Family Development shall be submitted to the County for review and approval prior to implementation.

NON-EXCLUSIVITY

While this pool of providers is non-exclusive, the County shall reserve the right to select additional vendors outside of the pool if specific needs arise, such as higher-than-expected demand or specialized services.

GENERAL CONDITIONS

known as contingent liability insurance) with the same limits. In the event more than one insured is named in the policy, a CROSSLIABILITY endorsement shall be included which provides that the employees of each of the named insureds be not excluded under the policy as respect to claims that are made against other named insured.

• AUTOMOBILE LIABILITY INSURANCE with limits of not less than $3,000,000.00 Liability and Property Damage Liability Combined Single Limit, $1,000,000.00 Uninsured Motorist and Underinsured Motorist, $3,000,000.00 Owned, Hired and Non-owned Automobile, shall be maintained in full force during the life of this contract by the respondent.

• PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE with the limits of not less than $2,000,000.00 maintained in full force during the life of the contract by the respondent.

• The insurance policies shall be provided by insurance companies authorized to do business in the State of New Jersey.

All insurance required herein shall be maintained in full force and effect during the term of the successful Respondent’s Contract with the County and shall constitute primary coverage over any other applicable insurance.

The successful Respondent shall furnish a Certificate or Certificates of Insurance in compliance with these requirements and a certified copy of each policy to the County, including the provisions establishing premiums. All insurance policies required hereunder shall include an endorsement naming the County and its officers, agents, engineer, attorney, employees, and servants as additional insured’s, which insurance shall provide primary and non-contributory insurance coverage to the County, its agents, etc. In addition, the additional insurance shall include but not be limited to coverage for the additional insured for bodily or personal injury, property damage or other loss for which the respondent’s insurance policy provides coverage for the respondent’s work and for coverage which is included in the respondent’s “products-completed operations hazard” coverage. An endorsement shall be provided that the policies shall not be changed or canceled prior to thirty (30) days after written notice has been provided by the insurance carrier directly to the County.

During the term of its Contract with the County, the successful Respondent shall be obligated to renew each and every insurance policy which may expire. In cases where a required insurance policy is cancelled or terminated during its term, the successful Respondent shall immediately procure insurance to replace such policy(ies) and shall immediately provide all insurance information required by the County as proof that the cancelled or terminated policy has been restored or replaced. In the event the successful Respondent fails or refuses to renew its insurance policies, or the coverage is canceled, terminated, or modified so that the insurance does not meet the requirements of the successful Respondent’s Contract with the County, such failure shall constitute default of the successful Respondent’s Contract with the County. Insurance coverage having policy limits in the amounts required by the County shall not be construed to relieve the Respondent from liability in excess of such coverage, nor shall it preclude the County from taking such other actions as are available to it under the provisions of this Contract or otherwise in the law.

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