25-DCYF-EL-006 RFP.pdf

Competitive Solicitation RFP # 22-DCYF-EL-001 Page 1 of 31

COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFP NO. 25-DCYF-EL-006

Project Title: Comprehensive Technical Assistance Services – Child

Care Grants

Estimated Contract

Performance Period: November 15, 2024 through June 30, 2026. Amendments extending the period of performance, if any, shall be at the sole discretion of Department of Children, Youth &

Families (DCYF).

Response Due Date: All responses must be received in their entirety by Date and Time set forth in Section C.1 of this Solicitation

Document unless an Amendment is issued modifying the

Solicitation Schedule.

Submit Response To: Responses must be submitted to:

Kris Gorgas, Coordinator

Email: dcyf.contracts@dcyf.wa.gov

Solicitation and Amendments

Will Be Posted on WEBS: WEBS Website: https://fortress.wa.gov/es/webscust/

Applicable WEBS

Commodity Codes: 952-43 Family and Social Services

952-18 Child Care Services (Incl. the Food Program)

958-22 Child Care Center Management and Operation

Services

961-75 Translation Services

946-52 Grant Writing Services

Additional Resource: Washington APEX Accelerator (formerly Washington

PTAC) website: www.washingtonapex.org http://www.washingtonapex.org/

Competitive Solicitation RFP # 25-DCYF-EL-006 Page 2 of 31

TABLE OF CONTENT

A. OVERVIEW, BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS, AND CONTRACT TERM

1. PURPOSE

3. OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE

4. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

5. PERIOD OF CONTRACT PERFORMANCE

6. FUNDING

B. DEFINITIONS

C. EXPLANATION OF SOLICITATION PROCESS

1. SOLICITATION SCHEDULE

2. SOLICITATION COORDINATOR

3. POSTING OF SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS

4. AMENDMENT, CANCELLATION AND REISSUANCE OF SOLICITATION

5. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

6. COMPLAINTS

7. MINORITY & WOMEN’S BUSINESS ENTERPRISES (MWBE), SMALL BUSINESS, AND VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS

ENTERPRISES

8. COST TO PREPARE RESPONSE

9. JOINT PROPOSALS

10. WITHDRAWAL OF RESPONSES

11. WITHDRAWAL OF RESPONSES

12. WAGE VIOLATIONS

13. PAY EQUALITY

14. WORKER’S RIGHTS

15. MOST FAVORABLE TERMS

16. ANNOUNCEMENT OF SUCCESSFUL BIDDER(S)

17. ETHICS, POLICIES AND LAW

D. PROPOSAL CONTENT, FORMAT AND SUBMISSION

1. ATTACHMENT B - CERTIFICATIONS AND ASSURANCES (REQUIRED)

2. ATTACHMENT C - BIDDER RESPONSE FORM (REQUIRED; PORTIONS SCORED)

3. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION/PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

4. PREBID CONFERENCE (OPTIONAL)

5. SUBMISSION OF RESPONSES

6. ACCEPTABLE ELECTRONIC FORMATS FOR SUBMISSION OF RESPONSES

7. ALTERNATIVE SUBMISSION METHODS

E. EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

1. BID RESPONSIVENESS; ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW

2. ERRORS IN BIDDER RESPONSE

3. EVALUATION FOR EXECUTIVE ORDER 18-03 (CONTRACTORS WITHOUT MANDATORY INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION FOR

EMPLOYEES)

4. EVALUATION CRITERIA AND SCORING OF RESPONSES

5. WRITTEN EVALUATION PROCEDURE

6. ORAL PRESENTATIONS MAY BE REQUIRED

7. SELECTION OF APPARENT SUCCESSFUL BIDDER

F. DEBRIEFING AND PROTEST PROCEDURE

1. DEBRIEFING CONFERENCES

2. PROTEST PROCEDURE

G. CONTRACTING PROCEDURES

1. CONTRACT EXECUTION

2. BIDDER ISSUES, CONCERNS, EXCEPTIONS OR OBJECTIONS

3. INSURANCE

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4. NON-ENDORSEMENT

5. ELECTRONIC PAYMENT

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A. OVERVIEW, BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS, AND CONTRACT TERM

1. Purpose

This Competitive Solicitation is issued in order to assist the Washington State

Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) in seeking qualified Contractor(s) to provide comprehensive technical assistance, support and other assistance to Child

Care Providers before, during, and after the Grant application process for multiple ongoing grants and incentives from the State. This support, referred to as Technical

Assistance (TA) includes, but is not limited to, language access, one-on-one and community-based support and outreach related to understanding the purpose of each

Grant, the Grant application process and application support, accessing the online Grant application, consultation on understanding and complying with Grant terms and conditions, the spending of awarded funds, managing receipts and other assistance necessary to support Child Care Providers to access, apply for, and manage the Grant.

TA may be offered in in-person, virtual or group settings and must be available in multiple languages, which include but may not be limited to the following: Spanish, Somali, English. Oral Interpretation and written translation services must meet the needs the Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Child Care Provider.

The successful Bidder(s) must demonstrate its ability to ensure the delivery of technical assistance and supports described above in either a region of the state as specified by the bidder, or statewide with accompanying details as to how that will be accomplished.

For reference:

• Child Care Grant and Funding Award information and applications are released annually and bi-annually, at staggered times throughout the year

• The state begins receipt review and Grant monitoring efforts at the end of each grant spend period

DCYF, in accordance with Washington law, encourages small and diverse businesses to compete for and participate in DCYF procurements as contractors and as subcontractors to awarded Bidders. See, e.g., RCW 39.19 (OMWBE certified businesses); RCW

43.60A.200 (DVA certified veteran-owned businesses); and RCW 39.26.005

(Washington Small Businesses).

In support of the state’s economic goals and to support a diverse supplier pool, DCYF has established the following voluntary numerical goals for DCYF Competitive Solicitations:

▪ Ten percent (10%) Office of Minority and Woman Owned Businesses;

▪ Ten percent (10%) Veteran-Owned Businesses; and

▪ Twenty percent (20%) Washington Small Businesses, Achievement of these goals is encouraged whether directly or through subcontractors.

https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=39.19 https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=43.60A.200 https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=43.60A.200 https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=39.26.005

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2. Background

As a result of the passage of the Fair Start for Kids Act, DCYF must provide Early

Childhood Equity Grants and Child Care Complex Needs Funds to eligible Child Care

Providers. Further, in support of building new capacity for early learning providers, the state offers funding for Community Capital Facilities with the Early Learning Facilities

Grant. To reduce barriers to applying for and successfully managing these Grants, the state provides contracted comprehensive technical assistance to any applicant or grantee of these opportunities who needs it.

3. Objective and Scope

The successful Bidder(s) shall provide licensed Child Care Providers and license-exempt Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) Child Care Providers with comprehensive, culturally responsive technical assistance during the Grant process, which includes, but is not limited to:

1. Community-based support related to the understanding of the purpose of each

Grant, the Grant application process and application support, accessing the online Grant application, consultation on understanding and complying with Grant terms and conditions, the spending of awarded funds, managing receipts and other assistance necessary to support Child Care Providers to access, apply for, and manage the Grant.

2. Support related to Grant reporting, auditing, and compliance with the terms and conditions of each grant and funding award;

3. Technical assistance may be offered in in-person, virtual or group settings and must be available in multiple languages, which include but may not be limited to the following: Spanish, Somali, Russian, Arabic, Chinese and English; and

4. Oral Interpretation and written Translation services must meet the Limited

English Proficiency (LEP) Child Care Provider’s needs.

Service Activities

Management • Hire and retain adequate staff.

• Monitor subcontractors, if applicable.

• Ensure familiarity with Grant requirements, once released. This will be provided by DCYF and includes:

o Grant eligibility requirements.

o Grant terms and conditions.

o The Grant application online in the

WA Compass Provider Portal and https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2021-22/Pdf/Bills/Session%20Laws/Senate/5237-S2.SL.pdf?q=20240716152539

Competitive Solicitation RFP # 25-DCYF-EL-006 Page 6 of 31 how to access to application.

o Toolkit of Grant-related documents, including frequently-asked questions.

• Manage requests for technical assistance directly from a Child Care Provider or as assigned by DCYF.

• Scheduling and coordination of services.

• Ongoing outreach and marketing of services.

• • Maintain a timely record of technical assistance provided (type, duration, provider ID, language service occurred in).

Community-Based Technical Assistance and Supports

• Provide in-person or virtual, in one-on one or group setting, technical assistance services to support a variety of licensed and license-exempt Child Care Provider types to access and complete the Grant application, consultation on understanding and complying with Grant terms and conditions, the spending of awarded funds, managing receipts and other assistance necessary to support Child Care Providers to access, apply for, and manage the Grant.

• Provide culturally responsive technical assistance in the Child Care Provider’s primary language.

• Advertise these services with materials provided by, or approved by, DCYF.

• Inform Child Care Provider of their right to receive services at no cost to them.

• Knowledge of the Grant application and process, including activities before, during and after an application, which may include:

o Completing train-the-trainer.

• Passing a pre-training knowledge assessment.

Communicating Verbally

- Interpretation

Responsibilities of the Contractor(s) for technical supports:

• Determine the most appropriate method by considering the:

o Availability of in-person interpreter resources o Length of the services o Effectiveness of telephone or video

Competitive Solicitation RFP # 25-DCYF-EL-006 Page 7 of 31 interpreter services.

• Providing Interpretation and Translation services.

• Providing training and guidance, as needed, to employees about interpreter and Translation services as they relate to DCYF policies.

• Determining the most appropriate verbal or written communication method for specific Child Care Providers.

Utilize certified or authorized interpreters, or certified or approved dual language employees for Interpretation with Child Care Providers.

Communicating in Writing - Translation

• Translate DCYF-provided or approved documents pertaining to the Grant application, upon request.

• Determine which of the following is the most appropriate method based on the Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Child Care Provider’s needs:

o Fully translated written communication in the Child Care Provider’s primary language if available.

o Written summary of the English communication, indicating the subject and its significance in the Child Care Provider’s primary language if available.

• Provide translated forms and publications when available.

• Retain copies of translated forms, publications, and documents, including the English versions.

The successful bidder(s) must be able to demonstrate an ability to achieve all of the activities listed above in order to meet the technical assistance and language access requirements as outlined.

Bidders shall identify the key personnel it shall utilize in performing this Contract, and their experience and qualifications, as part of its Proposal. If awarded a Contract, Bidder shall not make changes to such key personnel during the term of the Contract except as requested or approved by DCYF.

http://insideca.dshs.wa.gov/intranet/policy/lep-noncertguidelines.html

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4. Minimum Qualifications

Bidders submitting a proposal must complete and submit Bidder Response forms C.1 and C.2 for evaluation purposes. Bidder must respond to each requirement as noted in the instructions below.

• Mandatory Pass/Fail (M): Minimum requirement; Bidder that does not meet this requirement will not be considered any further.

• Mandatory Scored (MS): Critical requirement; Bidders will score based on the degree to which Bidder's response meets the requirements.

• Desirable Scored (DS): Desirable requirement; evaluators will score based on the degree to which Bidder's response meets the requirement.

a. Mandatory Pass/Fail (M):

1. Must be licensed to do business in the state of Washington or provide a commitment that it will become licensed in Washington within thirty (30) days of being selected as the Apparent Successful Bidder (ASB).

2. Must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number or provide a commitment that it will acquire a UEI number within thirty (30) days of being selected as the

Apparent Successful Bidder (ASB).

• Information on how to obtain a UEI number can be found at the following location: https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration

3. Must have experience providing technical assistance or similar relationship based professional development (RBPD) practice to child care providers.

Information on the RPBD standard can be found here:

https://www.dcyf.wa.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/RBPDStandards.pdf

4. Must have qualified/certified interpreters on staff or proposal to secure individuals with these skills. Languages must include, but may not be limited to:

Spanish, Somali, Russian, Arabic, Chinese and English and must have experience providing interpretation and translation to Limited English Proficiency

(LEP) Child Care Providers.

5. Qualified/certified interpreters must have experience providing interpretation and translation on topics about or related to child care and early learning in

Washington State.

b. Desirable Scored (DS):

1. Demonstrated knowledge of the child care landscape in Washington and DCYF data systems utilized for professional development and grant application.

2. Demonstrated working relationships with child care provider community.

https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration https://www.dcyf.wa.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/RBPDStandards.pdf

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3. Demonstrated knowledge of cultural awareness and anti-racist, anti-bias practices.

4. Interpreter services are provided by language access providers who are certified or authorized by the state, or nationally certified by the certification commission for health care interpreters or the national certification of medical interpreters.

Bidders failing to demonstrate in their Bids that they meet these minimum qualifications will be considered non-responsive and will therefore be disqualified from further consideration.

5. Period of Contract Performance

DCYF intends to award one contract to provide the services described in this RFP.

The initial term of the Contract(s) will be for a period of November 15, 2024 through June

30, 2026. The term of this Contract may be extended by five (5) additional one (1) year terms. The extensions shall be at the option of DCYF and shall be effected by DCYF giving written notice of its intent to extend the Contract to the Contractor and the

Contractor accepting such extensions.

Additional services that are appropriate to the scope of this RFP, as determined by

DCYF, may be added to the resulting Contract(s) by a written Amendment mutually agreed to and executed by both parties.

6. Funding

DCYF initial total amount for all Contract(s) issued through this RFP shall not exceed

$944,989.55 statewide.

Additional services that are appropriate to the scope of this RFP, as determined by

DCYF, may be added to the resulting Contract(s) by a written Amendment mutually agreed to and executed by both parties.

7. Auxiliary Aids and Services for American with Disabilities Act (ADA)

DCYF will provide access to this Solicitation Document to individuals with disabilities.

Please contact the Coordinator to request auxiliary aids and services.

If an individual believes that the Department has discriminated on the basis of a disability, please contact the DCYF Solicitation Coordinator.

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B. DEFINITIONS

Additional definitions for Contract-specific terms are found in the Sample Contract set forth as

Attachment A to this Solicitation and shall apply to those terms as they are used in this

Solicitation. The following terms have the meanings set forth below:

1. DCYF – The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families.

2. Amendment – A unilateral change to the Solicitation that is issued by DCYF at its sole discretion and posted on WEBS.

3. Apparent Successful Bidder or ASB – The Bidder selected as the entity to perform the anticipated services, subject to completion of Contract negotiations and execution of a written Contract.

4. Authorized Representative – An individual designated by the Bidder to act on its behalf who has the authority to legally bind the Bidder concerning the terms and conditions set forth in this Solicitation and related documents.

5. Bid - An offer, proposal or quote for goods or services and all related materials prepared and submitted by a Bidder in response to this Solicitation. The terms Bid, quotation, response and proposal are all intended to mean the same thing.

6. Bidder– An individual or entity who submits a Bid, quotation, or proposal in response to a Solicitation issued for such goods or services by DCYF per RCW 39.26.010(3).

7. Child Care Provider(s) -Those who meet regulations known as rules, Washington

Administrative Code or WAC in order to become licensed to provide child care in

Washington State. For the purpose of this RFP, this includes Licensed Family Home

(LFH), Child Care Center, and Family, Friend and Neighbor (FFN) Child Care Providers.

8. Complaint – Is a process that may be followed by a Bidder prior to the deadline for Bid submission to alert DCYF of certain types of asserted deficiencies in the Solicitation per

RCW 39.26.170.

9. Contract – A written agreement entered into between an Apparent Successful Bidder and DCYF as a result of this Solicitation.

10. Contractor – An individual or entity whose Bid has been accepted by the DCYF and is awarded a fully executed, written Contract.

11. Coordinator or Solicitation Coordinator – An individual or designee who is employed by DCYF within the DCYF Contracts Unit Office and who is responsible for conducting this Solicitation.

12. Debriefing – a short meeting an Unsuccessful Bidder may request with the Coordinator following the announcement of the ASB for the purpose of receiving information regarding the review and evaluation of that Bidder’s Response.

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13. Evaluator – Is a person designated by DCYF to evaluate proposals received in response to a 4ompetitive Solicitation Document.

14. Family, Friend and Neighbor (FFN) Child Care Provider – Child care that is provided in the child's or caregiver's home by a person who is a relative, friend, or neighbor. FFN providers who receive support as a result of this contract serve children accessing state subsidy (in the form of Working Connections Child Care), are recognized by DCYF with a Social Service Payment System (SSPS) number, and as such are considered license-exempt.

15. Interpretation – The transfer of an oral communication from one language to another.

16. Licensed Family Home (LFH) Child Care Provider – An early learning program licensed by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) where a family home licensee provides child care or education services for a set number of children

(typically 12 or fewer) in the family living quarters where the licensee resides.

17. Licensed Child Care Center (CCC) – An early learning facility providing regularly scheduled care for a group of children birth through 12 years old for periods of less than

24 hours a day.

18. Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) Certified

Business – Means business or the status of a business that has been examined by the

Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) and deemed to be a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), a Women’s Business Enterprise

(WBE), a Minority Women’s Business Enterprise (MWBE), a Combination Business

Enterprise (CBE), or a Socially and Economically Disadvantage Business Enterprise

(SEDBE) per chapter 39.19 RCW.

OMWBE Certification. The Bidder must have provided certification documentation to the

OMWBE and be certified by OMWBE and listed as such on OMWBE’s website

(OMWBE’s Directory of Certified Businesses).

19. Protest – A process that may be followed by a Bidder after the announcement of the

ASB to alert DCYF to certain types of alleged errors in the evaluation of the Solicitation.

20. RCW – The Revised Code of Washington. All references to RCW chapters or sections shall include any successor, amended, or replacement statute.

21. RFP – The Request for Proposal set forth in this Solicitation document.

22. Small Business - An in-state business, including a sole proprietorship, corporation, partnership, or other legal entity, that: (a) certifies, under penalty of perjury, that it is owned and operated independently from all other businesses and has either: (i) fifty (50) or fewer employees; or (ii) a gross revenue of less than seven (7) million dollars annually as reported on its federal income tax return or its return filed with the department of revenue over the previous three (3) consecutive years; or (b) Is certified with the Office of Women and Minority Business Enterprises under Chapter 39.19 RCW.

https://omwbe.wa.gov/directory-certified-businesses

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23. Solicitation or Competitive Solicitation – A formal process providing and equal and open opportunity for Bidders culminating in a selection based upon predetermined criteria. A Competitive Solicitation requests the submission of Bids, quotations or proposals for the consideration of DCYF in contracting to meet its needs. This RFP is a

Solicitation.

24. Solicitation Document – Is a document that outlines the requirements and process for submitting a proposal or Bid to acquire services or goods that DCYF desires, and is released to prospective Bidders or other interested persons. Competitive Solicitation documents include Request for Proposal (RFP’s), Request for Qualifications and

Quotation (RFQQs), Request for Qualifications (RFQs), Request of Quotation(s) (RFQs), and Request for Applications (RFAs).

25. Statement of Work – The detailed description services to be performed by the

Contractor and set forth in the Contract that is awarded to the successful bidder(s).

26. Subcontractor – An individual or other entity contracted by Bidder to perform part of the services or to provide goods under the Contract resulting from this Solicitation.

Subcontractors, if allowed, are subject to the advance approval of DCYF.

27. Translation – The transfer of a written communication from one language to another.

28 Veteran-Owned Business – means businesses certified by the Department of Veterans

Affairs (DVA) as a Certified Veteran-Owned Business. See RCW 43.60A.010(7) & RCW

43.60A.190. Such firms must meet three requirements:

a. 51% Ownership. The firm must be at least fifty-one percent (51%) owned and controlled by:

(1) A veteran as defined as every person who at the time he or she seeks certification has received a discharge with an honorable characterization or received a discharge for medical reasons with an honorable record, where applicable, and who has served in at least one of the capacities listed in RCW

41.04.007;

(2) A person who is in receipt of disability compensation or pension from the department of veterans’ affairs; or

(3) An active or reserve member in any branch of the armed forces of the United

States, including the national guard, coast guard, and armed forces reserves.

b. Washington Incorporation/Location. The firm must be either an entity that is incorporated in the state of Washington as a Washington domestic corporation or, if not incorporated, an entity whose principal place of business is located within the

State of Washington.

DVA Certification. The firm must have provided certification documentation to the DVA and be certified by DVA and listed as such on DVA’s website (WDVA – Veteran-Owned

Businesses).

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29. Washington APEX Accelerator - formerly Washington Procurement Technical

Assistance Center (PTAC) – Works to give businesses the opportunity to thrive in the government-contracting marketplace. Their website can be found at www.washingtonapex.org

30. Washington Electronic Business Solution or WEBS – Washington’s Electronic

Business Solution, the Bidder notification system found at https://fortress.wa.gov/es/webscust/ and maintained by the Washington State

Department of Enterprise Services.

http://www.washingtonapex.org/ https://fortress.wa.gov/es/webscust/

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C. EXPLANATION OF SOLICITATION PROCESS

1. Solicitation Schedule

The Solicitation Schedule set forth below outlines the tentative schedule for important events relating to this Solicitation. Except as modified in an Amendment issued by the

Coordinator, the dates and times listed through the date of response submission are mandatory deadlines. The remaining dates are estimates and may change without the posting of an Amendment. Failure to meet the response deadline will result in Bidder disqualification.

Action Date

Posts Competitive Solicitation September 9, 2024

Prebid Conference 11 a.m. Pacific Time September 17, 2024

Bidder may submit written questions until 4 p.m. Pacific Time.

October 7, 2024

DCYF will post responses to written questions as an Amendment.

October 11, 2024

Bidders may submit written Complaints by 4 p.m. Pacific Time

October 16, 2024

Issue an additional Amendment(s) to RFP (if applicable) October 23, 2024

Bidder must submit Response by 4 p.m. Pacific Time October 23, 2024

Evaluation of written Responses October 25-28, 2024

Announce ASB(s) and notify unsuccessful Bidders October 30, 2024

Unsuccessful Bidders may request a Debriefing conference until 5 p.m. Pacific Time

November 4, 2024

Holds Debriefing conferences, if requested November 7, 2024

Negotiate Contract

October 31-November 8, Contract start date (DCYF will postpone signing a Contract with the ASB until all Protests have been resolved.)

November 15, 2024

2. Solicitation Coordinator

The Solicitation Coordinator is the sole point of contact for DCYF for this Solicitation. All communications concerning this Solicitation must be directed to the Coordinator listed on the cover page and below of this subsection of this Solicitation Document.

With the exception of the response which shall be submitted as provided in Section D, Proposal Content, Format and Submission, communications with the Coordinator should be sent via email. DCYF may disqualify any Bidder who communicates with anyone in

DCYF other than the Coordinator regarding this Solicitation.

Kris Gorgas, Coordinator

Email: dcyf.contracts@dcyf.wa.gov

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a. DCYF considers all oral communications unofficial and non-binding. Bidder are to rely only on written statements issued by the Coordinator.

b. Any communications directed to parties other than the Coordinator may result in disqualification of the Bidder.

3. Posting of Solicitation Documents

DCYF shall post this Solicitation, and all Amendments and announcements relating to this Solicitation, on WEBS. WEBS can be accessed at https://fortress.wa.gov/es/webscust/.

All Bidders must register as a vendor on WEBS, using an appropriate commodities code listed on the front page of this Solicitation, and must download this Solicitation from

WEBS. This should be done as soon as possible in order for Bidder to receive notifications automatically generated on WEBS, but no later than the date set forth on

Section C.1., Solicitation Schedule for Announcement of the Apparent Successful

Bidder(s).

4. Amendment, Cancellation and Reissuance of Solicitation

a. DCYF may amend or cancel or reissue this Solicitation at any time, in whole or in part, prior to execution of a Contract.

b. DCYF may reject all Bids and cancel or rebid this Solicitation. In the event it becomes necessary to revise any part of this Solicitation, Amendment(s) shall be posted on WEBS.

c. DCYF may reject all Bids and cancel or rebid this Solicitation. In the event it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP, an Amendment will be provided to all who receive the RFP. All Amendments and notifications of cancellation shall be posted on WEBS. In the event of a conflict between Amendments or between an

Amendment and this Solicitation Document, the document issued latest shall control.

5. Questions and Answers

Bidders may send written questions concerning this Solicitation to the Coordinator by the date and time set forth on the Solicitation Schedule in Section C.1. for submission of

Questions. Questions should be sent via email and should include the number and title of this Solicitation in the subject line.

DCYF will document all questions received in writing by posting an Amendment to the

Solicitation on WEBS. Only Bidders who have properly registered and downloaded the original Solicitation directly via the WEBS system at https://fortress.wa.gov/es/webscust/

/ will receive notification of Amendments and other correspondence pertaining to this

Solicitation.

https://fortress.wa.gov/es/webscust/ file:///C:/Users/goffas/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/WBRI7JQJ/:/fortress.wa.gov/es/webscust/%20/ file:///C:/Users/goffas/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/WBRI7JQJ/:/fortress.wa.gov/es/webscust/%20/

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6. Complaints

a. DCYF provides prospective Bidders a period of time to voice Complaints about this

Solicitation in order to promote a transparent, fair, and competitive process.

Prospective Bidder must provide the Coordinator the Complaint in written form no later than five (5) business days prior to when the Bids are due. The Complaint must clearly articulate the basis for the Complaint and should include a proposed remedy.

Complaint topics are inclusive of:

(1) Unnecessary restricts competition;

(2) Contains an unfair or flawed evaluation/scoring process; or

(3) Inadequate or insufficient requirements so a response is difficult to prepare.

b. Complaint raised in communication with the Coordinator will be documented and responded to in written form. A copy of the Complaint and response will be posted on

WEBS. The DCYF decision regarding a Complaint is final and no further administrative appeal is available. The Complaint may not be raised again during the Protest period.

7. Minority & Women’s Business Enterprises (MWBE), Small Business, and Veteran-

Owned Business Enterprises

a. In accordance with the legislative findings and policies set forth in RCW 39.19, 43.60A.200, 39.26.240 and 39.26.245, the State of Washington encourages participation by Small Business, by veteran-owned business enterprises and by the

Office of Minority-Owned and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (OMWBE).

Participation may be either on a direct basis in response to this Solicitation or on a

Subcontractor basis. While the state does not give preferential treatment, it does seek equitable representation from the small, veterans, minority and women’s business communities.

DCYF will be included in the evaluation of Bids, no minimum level of MWBE participation shall be required as a condition for receiving an award and Bids will not be rejected or considered non-responsive on that basis.

b. Minority & Women’s Business Enterprises Participation

Bidders may contact the Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises

(OMWBE) at http://omwbe.wa.gov/ to obtain information on certified firms for potential subcontracting arrangements or for information on how to become certified.

Nothing in this section is intended to prevent or discourage participation from non-

MWBE businesses.

The established annual Solicitation participation goals for MBE is 10% and for WBE, 4%, for this type of project. These goals are voluntary. Bidders may contact

OMWBE at 360/753-9693 or http://www.omwbe.wa.gov to obtain information on certified firms.

http://omwbe.wa.gov/ http://www.omwbe.wa.gov/

Competitive Solicitation RFP # 25-DCYF-EL-006 Page 17 of 31

c. Small Business Participation

In accordance with the legislative findings and policies set forth in Chapter 39.26

RCW, the state of Washington encourages participation in all of its Contracts by

Bidders defined as a Small Business. Participation may be either on a direct basis in response to this Solicitation or on a Subcontractor basis. However, no preference will be included in the evaluation of Bids.

d. Veteran-Owned Business Participation

In accordance with the legislative findings and policies set forth in Chapter

43.60A.200 RCW, the state of Washington encourages participation in all of its

Contracts by firms certified by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA).

For questions regarding the above go to: http://www.dva.wa/gov/.

8. Cost to Prepare Response

DCYF will not be liable for any costs incurred by the Bidder in preparing of a Bid submitted in response to this Solicitation, conducting a site assessment and/or presentation, any other activities related to responding to this Solicitation, and/or submitting a response to this Solicitation.

9. Joint Proposals

If Bidders submit a joint response with one or more other persons or entities, these persons or entities must designate a prime Bidder. The prime Bidder will be DCYF sole point of contact through the Solicitation process. If selected as the ASB, the prime

Bidder shall sign the Contract and any Amendments and will be liable and responsible to

DCYF for all performance under the Contract.

10. Withdrawal of Responses

After a response has been submitted, Bidders may withdraw their response at any time up to the response due date and time as specified in Section C.1, Solicitation Schedule.

A written request to withdraw the response, signed by an Authorized Representative of the Bidder, must be submitted to the Coordinator. After withdrawing a response, the

Bidder may submit another response at any time up to the response submission date and time.

11. Withdrawal of Responses

Bidder certifies that Bidder has not, within the three (3) year period immediately preceding the date of release of this Competitive Solicitation, been determined by a final and binding citation and notice of assessment issued by the state of Washington

Department of Labor and Industries or through a civil judgment to have willfully violated state minimum wage laws (RCW 49.38.082; Chapters 49.46 RCW, 49.48 RCW, or 49.52

RCW). Bidder attests under penalty of perjury that the foregoing statement is true and http://www.dva.wa/gov/

Competitive Solicitation RFP # 25-DCYF-EL-006 Page 18 of 31 correct. Bidder must submit, Attachment B, attached hereto and incorporated herein as though set forth in full.

12. Wage Violations

Contractor represents and warrants that, during the term of this Contract and the three

(3) year period immediately preceding the effective date of this Contract, it is not determined, by a final and binding citation and notice of assessment issued by the

Washington Department of Labor and Industries or through a civil judgment entered by a court of limited or general jurisdiction, to be in willful violation of any provision of

Washington State wage laws set forth in RCW Chapters 49.46, 49.48, or 49.52. For purposes of this Section 12 and pursuant to RCW 49.48.082 as now or hereafter amended, “willful” shall mean a knowing and intentional action that is neither accidental nor the result of a bona fide dispute, as evaluated under the standards applicable to wage payment violations under RCW 49.52.050(2).

13. Pay Equality

Contractor represents and warrants that, as required by Washington State law (Laws of

2019,Chap. 415, §225(4)(f)), during the term of this Contract the Contractor agrees to equality among its workers by ensuring similarly employed individuals are compensated as equals.

a. For purposes of this Section 13, employees are similarly employed if the individuals work for the same employer, the performance of the job requires comparable skill, effort, and responsibility, and the jobs are performed under similar working conditions. Job titles alone are not determinative of whether employees are similarly employed.

b. For purposes of this Section 13, the Contractor may allow differentials in compensation for its workers based in good faith on any of the following: a seniority system; a merit system; a system that measures earnings by quantity or quality of production; a bona fide job-related factor or factors; or a bona fide regional difference in compensation levels.

(1) A bona fide job-related factor or factors may include, but not be limited to, education, training, or experience, that is: consistent with business necessity; not based on or derived from a gender-based differential; and accounts for the entire differential.

(2) A bona fide regional difference in compensation level must be consistent with business necessity; not based on or derived from a gender-based differential;

and account for the entire differential.

14. Worker’s Rights

Pursuant to the Washington State Governor’s Executive Order 18-03 (dated June 12, 2018), DCYF is seeking to contract with qualified entities and business owners who

Competitive Solicitation RFP # 25-DCYF-EL-006 Page 19 of 31 certify that their employees are not, as a condition of employment, subject to mandatory individual arbitration clauses and class or collective action waivers.

15. Most Favorable Terms

DCYF reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the Bid submitted. Therefore, the Bid should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms which the Bidder can propose. DCYF does reserve the right to contact a Bidder for clarification of its Bid.

The Bidder should be prepared to accept this RFP for incorporation into a Contract resulting from this RFP. Contract negotiations may incorporate some or all of the

Bidder’s Bid. It is understood that the Bid will become a part of the official Solicitation file on this matter without obligation to DCYF.

16. Announcement of Successful Bidder(s)

DCYF shall announce the ASB(s) via WEBS on the date indicated in Section C.1., Solicitation Schedule. All announcements of ASB(s) are subject to the negotiation of a

Contract satisfactory to DCYF.

17. Ethics, Policies and Law

This Solicitation, the evaluation of responses, and any resulting Contract will be made in conformance with applicable Washington State laws and policies.

Specific restrictions apply to contracting with current or former state employees pursuant to RCW 42.52. Bidders should familiarize themselves with the requirements prior to submitting a Response. Bidders must include information regarding any current or former state employees who are employed by, or subcontracted with Bidder in

Attachment C1, Administrative Requirements Response, Competitive Solicitation RFP # 25-DCYF-EL-006 Page 20 of 31

D. PROPOSAL CONTENT, FORMAT AND SUBMISSION

Bidders shall submit their responses utilizing the forms set forth on Attachments B and C1, C2 and C3 to this Competitive Solicitation. Each attachment represents a separate section of the response. Failure to complete and submit all required attachments, and to sign them, if applicable, may result in Bidder disqualification. Responses should be neatly typed in 12-point font, using proper grammar, spelling and punctuation and should be submitted in the following order with each section of the response clearly labeled.

1. Attachment B - Certifications and Assurances (Required)

All Bidders must submit a completed Certifications and Assurances in the form and with the minimum contents set forth on Attachment B, which must include all of the required acknowledgments and information. The Certifications and Assurances must be signed by an individual authorized to bind the Bidder contractually.

2. Attachment C - Bidder Response Form (Required; Portions Scored)

Using Attachment C1, C2 and C3, Bidders must provide answers to the questions set forth on the Bidder Response Form to demonstrate satisfaction of administrative requirements and, as applicable to this Solicitation, their qualifications, approach and proposed pricing to provide the services as outlined in this Solicitation, including the sample Contract set forth on Attachment A.

The Bidder Response Form is posted separately from this Solicitation Document in

Microsoft Word format. Except for limits that are noted on the Bidder Response Form, Bidders may utilize as much space as is reasonably required to respond to each question, provided all questions are repeated and remain numbered and ordered as set forth in Attachment C1, C2 and C3. If additional pages are needed, they should be attached to the page containing the initial portion of the response to a question and should be marked clearly to indicate that they provide a continuation of Bidder’s answer to a specific numbered question. Bidders should not submit product brochures, white papers, and customer testimonials, cut sheets, or other pre-prepared materials in response to any of the questions.

Bidders must submit complete, well-organized explanatory answers that address all of the specific questions asked in the Bidder Response Form. Bidders should not assume that Evaluators will be familiar with their businesses before conducting the evaluation.

Use of Attachment C1, C2 and C3 assures that Bidder responds to specific questions in space immediately below those questions and helps to avoid confusion among

Evaluators about the question that is being responded to. Failure to use the form set forth on Attachment C1, C2 and C3, and failure to respond to all questions and/or failure to submit any documents requested in the Bidder Response Form may result in Bidder’s disqualification.

If Bidder is awarded a Contract, DCYF will require the Bidder Response Form to be incorporated, in whole, into the Contract.

Competitive Solicitation RFP # 25-DCYF-EL-006 Page 21 of 31

3. Proprietary Information/Public Disclosure

Materials submitted in response to this Solicitation shall be deemed public records as defined by RCW 42.56. All responses and accompanying documentation shall become the property of DCYF upon receipt, and will not be returned.

The Bidder’s response must include, on Attachment C, a statement identifying the pages of its response, if any, which contain information the Bidder considers proprietary. Each page claimed to be proprietary must be clearly marked by stating the word

“Proprietary” printed on the lower right hand corner of the page. Bidders must be reasonable in designating information as proprietary or confidential. Bidders may not mark their entire Response proprietary. Doing so will not be honored and will disqualify your Response from further consideration.

If DCYF receives a request to view or copy a Bidder’s response, DCYF will respond according to applicable law and DCYF’s policy governing public disclosure. DCYF will not disclose any information marked “Proprietary” in a response without giving the

Bidder ten (10) calendar days’ notice to seek relief in superior court per RCW 42.56.540.

Bid submissions and Bid evaluations are exempt from disclosure until DCYF announces the ASB

a. DCYF will consider a Bidder’s request for exemption from disclosure; however, the

DCYF will make a decision predicated upon Chapter 42.17 RCW and Chapter 136-

06 of the Washington Administrative Code. Marking the entire Bid exempt from disclosure will not be honored. The Bidder must be reasonable in designating information as confidential. If any information is marked as proprietary in the Bid, such information will not be made available until the affected proposer has been given an opportunity to seek a court injunction against the requested disclosure.

b. Bidders may not include any DCYF Child Care Provider information in their responses. Doing so will result in disqualification of the Response from further consideration. If you wish to include examples of any forms or processes, use a blank form or ensure that all Child Care Provider information is completely redacted.

c. A charge may be made for copying and shipping, as outlined in RCW 42.17.300. No fee shall be charged for inspection of Contract files, but twenty-four (24) hours’ notice to the Coordinator is required. All requests for information should be directed to the

DCYF Public Records Office at https://www.dcyf.wa.gov/public-records.

4. Prebid Conference (Optional)

A Zoom prebid conference is scheduled to be held on September 17, 2024 at 11:00 a.m., Pacific Time. Bidder should participate; however, participate is not mandatory.

Zoom link:

https://dcyf.zoom.us/j/81673936694?pwd=NanlGUmDb7pZ1bI8KFyqAZeoiwjYL1.1

Meeting ID: 816 7393 6694

Passcode: 960472 https://dcyf.zoom.us/j/81673936694?pwd=NanlGUmDb7pZ1bI8KFyqAZeoiwjYL1.1

Competitive Solicitation RFP # 25-DCYF-EL-006 Page 22 of 31

DCYF will be bound only to DCYF’S written answers to questions. Questions arising at the prebid conference or in subsequent communication with the Coordinator will be documented and answered in written form. A copy of the questions and answers will be posted in WEBS.

5. Submission of Responses

Bid responses must be stored in an acceptable electronic format as set forth in Section

5, below. Bid responses must be emailed directly to the Coordinator at the email address provided on the cover sheet of this Solicitation. Bid responses must be received by the Coordinator in their entirety on or before the due date and time set forth in Section

C.1., Solicitation Schedule, unless a posted Amendment to this Competitive Solicitation changes this due date and time. Bidder’s completed version of each of the Attachments

B and C1, C2 and C3 to this Solicitation shall be included as a separate attachment to the Bidder’s email(s).

Bidders assume all risks for the timely submission of the response. Bidders are responsible for allowing sufficient time to ensure timely electronic receipt of their response by DCYF. DCYF does not assume responsibility for problems with the

Bidder’s email or network. However, if DCYF email is not working properly, appropriate allowances will be made.

DCYF will not accept late responses. Late responses will be automatically disqualified from further consideration, unless the DCYF’S e-mail is found to be at fault. DCYF will disqualify any response and withdraw it from consideration if it is received after the response submission due date and time. All Bids and any accompanying documentation become the property of the DCYF and will not be returned.

6. Acceptable Electronic Formats for Submission of Responses

Attachment C1 and C2, Bidder response Form, must be submitted in Microsoft Word or in Portable Document Format (Adobe Acrobat PDF). Attachment C3, Bidder response

Form, and other spreadsheet documents must be submitted in Microsoft Excel and in a live, unprotected file that includes all formulas, macros, and computations that are relied on or used to calculate any rates or values presented therein. Additional attachments can be submitted in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint or PDF. When scanning documents to be submitted in PDF format, scanner resolution should be set to at least

200 dots per inch.

NOTE: DCYF cannot receive emails that are larger than 30MB. To keep file sizes to a minimum, Bidders are cautioned not to use unnecessary graphics in their responses. If your response approaches or exceeds 30MB, you must break it up and send it by more than one email so that no single email exceeds 30MB.

7. Alternative Submission Methods

Bidders wishing to request an alternative method for submitting their response must contact the Coordinator at least ten (10) days before the response submission date. No

Competitive Solicitation RFP # 25-DCYF-EL-006 Page 23 of 31 alternative submission method will be accepted unless agreed to by the Coordinator in writing prior to the response deadline.

Competitive Solicitation RFP # 25-DCYF-EL-006 Page 24 of 31

E. EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

1. Bid Responsiveness; Administrative Review

All responses will be reviewed by the Coordinator to determine compliance with administrative and minimum qualification requirements and instructions specified in this

Solicitation. DCYF may reject a response as non-responsive at any time for any of the following reasons:

a. Incomplete response;

b. Failure to meet the minimum Bidder qualifications or to comply with any requirement set forth in this Solicitation Document, including Attachments;

c. Submission of incorrect, misleading, or false information; and

The Coordinator may contact any Bidder for clarification of the response. If a response is deemed non-responsive, it shall be removed from further consideration. DCYF shall notify non-responsive Bidder(s) of this determination and the supporting reasons.

If a response meets all administrative and Bidder qualification requirements and submittal instructions, DCYF shall continue with the written evaluation and, if applicable, the oral evaluation.

DCYF also reserves the right, however, at its sole discretion to waive minor administrative irregularities.

2. Errors in Bidder Response

Bidders are responsible for all errors or omissions contained in their responses. Bidders will not be allowed to alter response documents after the deadline for response submissions.

DCYF reserves the right to contact any Bidder for clarification of Response contents. In those cases, where it is unclear to what extent a requirement has been addressed, the evaluation panel may, in their discretion and acting through the Coordinator, contact a

Bidder to clarify specific matters in the submitted response.

3. Evaluation for Executive Order 18-03 (Contractors without Mandatory Individual

Arbitration for Employees)

Pursuant to RCW 39.26.160(3) (best value criteria) and…