25-RFA-13139 HEZ Community Health Care Workers.pdf

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS FOR

Health Enterprise Zone Community Health Worker Programs

ISSUING OFFICE

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Human Services

Bureau of Procurement and Agreement Management Room 832 Health and Human Services Building

625 Forster Street Harrisburg, PA 17120

RFA NUMBER

25-RFA-13139

DATE OF ISSUANCE

June 2, 2025

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS FOR

HEALTH ENTERPRISE ZONE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER PROGRAMS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CALENDAR OF EVENTS page 4

Part I – GENERAL INFORMATION page 5

Part II – CRITERIA FOR SELECTION page 14

Part III – TECHNICAL SUBMITTAL page 17

Part IV – COST SUBMITTAL page 31

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A, APPLICATION COVER SHEET

APPENDIX B, COST SUBMITTAL WORKSHEET

APPENDIX C, TRADE SECRET CONFIDENTIAL PROPRIETARY INFORMATION

NOTICE FORM

APPENDIX D, LOBBYING CERTIFICATION AND DISCLOSURE

APPENDIX E, WORKER PROTECTION AND INVESTMENT CERTIFICATION

FORM

APPENDIX F, STANDARD GRANT TERMS AND CONDITIONS, DHS ADDENDUM

TO TERMS AND CONDITIONS, AND AUDIT CLAUSE D

APPENDIX G, BUSINESS ASSOCIATES ADDENDUM

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

The Commonwealth will make every effort to adhere to the following schedule:

Activity Responsibility Date

Deadline to submit questions via email to RA-

PWRFAQUESTIONS@PA.GOV

Potential Applicants

June 16, 2025

12:00 PM EST

Answers to Potential Applicant questions posted to the Department of General Services website at http://www.emarketplace.state.pa.us/Search.aspx no later than this date.

DHS June 27, 2025

Please monitor this website for all communications regarding this Request for Applications.

Potential Applicants Ongoing

Application must be received by the Issuing Office at RA- PWRFAQUESTIONS@PA.GOV as provided in Part I, Sections I-11 and I-11.A.

Applicants July 15, 2025

12:00 PM EST

mailto:RA-PWRFAQUESTIONS@PA.GOV mailto:RA-PWRFAQUESTIONS@PA.GOV http://www.emarketplace.state.pa.us/Search.aspx mailto:RA-PWRFAQUESTIONS@PA.GOV

PART I

GENERAL INFORMATION

I-1. Purpose. This Request for Applications (“RFA”) provides to those interested in submitting applications for the subject procurement (“Applicants”) sufficient information to enable them to prepare and submit applications for the Department of Human Services’ (“Department” or “DHS”) consideration on behalf of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (“Commonwealth”) to satisfy a need for Health Enterprise Zone Community Health Worker Programs (“Project”). This RFA contains instructions governing the requested applications, including the requirements for the information and material to be included; a description of the service to be provided; requirements that Applicants must meet to be eligible for consideration; general evaluation criteria; and other requirements specific to this RFA.

I-2. Issuing Office. The Department’s Office of Administration, Bureau of Procurement and Contract

Management (“Issuing Office”) has issued this RFA on behalf of the Commonwealth. The sole point of contact in the Commonwealth for this RFA shall be Stephanie Hostetler, RA- PWRFAQUESTIONS@PA.GOV, the Issuing Officer for this RFA. Please refer all inquiries to the Issuing Officer.

I-3. Overview of Project. The Commonwealth is dedicated to improving health outcomes in the North

Philadelphia Health Enterprise Zone (“HEZ”) using Community Health Workers (“CHWs”).

The American Public Health Association has defined a CHW as “a frontline public health worker who is a trusted member of and/or has an unusually close understanding of the community served. This trusting relationship enables the worker to serve as a liaison/link/intermediary between health and social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery.”

(https://www.apha.org/apha-communities/member-sections/community-health-workers/)

In 2017, DHS, in cooperation with the City of Philadelphia, area hospitals, universities, and community stakeholders, developed a North Philadelphia HEZ initiative to identify and reduce barriers to health care, improve health outcomes for North Philadelphia residents, and foster collaboration among the many varied healthcare providers, organizations, and community members in North Philadelphia.

The North Philadelphia HEZ includes the following fifteen zip codes:

• 19120

• 19121

• 19122

• 19123

• 19124

• 19125

• 19130

• 19131

• 19132

• 19133

• 19134

• 19138

• 19140

• 19141

• 19144

DHS established seven objectives for the HEZ initiative:

1. Reduce barriers to care for super utilizers of health care services.

2. Increase access to high-quality care through community-based professionals.

3. Develop a culturally competent, community-based workforce to address social determinants of health.

4. Deploy innovative strategies and technology.

5. Improve coordination of care between physical and behavioral health.

mailto:RA-PWRFPQUESTIONS@PA.GOV mailto:RA-PWRFPQUESTIONS@PA.GOV https://www.apha.org/apha-communities/member-sections/community-health-workers/

6. Reduce redundancy and improve efficiency through integration and rebalancing of health care resources.

7. Invest in infrastructure and incentives for long-term success and stability.

The communities most vulnerable to health disparities face tremendous barriers to quality health care.

These barriers can be described by the social and environmental determinants of health, or the conditions that contribute to an individual’s state of health. As a result, individuals often feel that a gap exists between provider recommendations for healthy living and their ability to carry out the recommendations.

CHWs have been identified as playing crucial roles in reducing inequities in access to essential health care services, particularly for underserved, vulnerable populations. CHW is an umbrella term for community-based workers that assist in bridging the gaps between providers and individuals. CHWs come from similar neighborhoods and are able to provide support in navigating the health system, social support, and health advocacy for their neighbors. Trained by medical and public health professionals, CHWs have been proven to make healthy behaviors and health care more accessible and ultimately help individuals live better and healthier lives.

I-4. Objectives.

A. General. The Department is seeking grantees to improve health outcomes in the North Philadelphia HEZ using Community Health Workers.

B. Specific. The Department’s specific objectives are to:

1. Implement evidence-based projects to improve social determinants of health and health conditions in the HEZ, focusing on one or more of the following social determinants and conditions:

a. Multi-generational household health needs

b. Food security

c. Mental health

d. Asthma

e. Diabetes

f. Substance Use Disorder

2. Hire, train, and employ CHWs, as defined in Section I-3, to facilitate access to services, improve service delivery, and deliver community education.

3. Provide services, education, and navigation that:

a. Address the needs of the residents of the HEZ;

b. Serve targeted groups with an emphasis on cultural relevance;

c. Include strategies for equity and inclusivity in service delivery and navigation;

d. Reflect community engagement and collaboration;

e. Align with the objectives of this RFA; and

f. Include partnerships and collaboration.

4. Regularly evaluate the impact of services, education, and navigation targeted within the grant, collecting data on health outcomes, participant satisfaction, and utilization rates. Utilize these insights to continually enhance and tailor the services, education, and navigation provided through the Project.

5. Maintain program integrity through policies and procedures to detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and waste.

I-5. Type of Agreement. The Department intends to award up to six grant agreements as the result of this

RFA. If the Department enters into an agreement, it will be a Cost Reimbursement agreement containing the Standard Grant Terms and Conditions as show in Appendix F of this RFA. The Department, in its sole discretion, may undertake negotiations with Applicants whose applications, in the judgment of the Department, show them to be qualified, responsible and capable of performing the Project.

I-6. Rejection of Applications. The Department, in its sole and complete discretion, may reject any application received as a result of this RFA.

I-7. Incurring Costs. The Commonwealth and the Department are not liable for any costs an Applicant incurs in the preparation and submission of its application, in participating in the RFA process, or in anticipation of agreement award.

I-8. Questions & Answers. If an Applicant has questions regarding this RFA, the Applicant must submit the questions by email (with the subject line “25-RFA-13139 Question”) to the Issuing Officer named in Part I, Section I-2 of this RFA. If the Applicant has questions, they must be submitted as they arise via email but no later than the date stated in the Calendar of Events. The Applicant shall not attempt to contact the Issuing Officer by any other means.

When questions are submitted after the date specified in the Calendar of Events, the Issuing Officer may respond to questions of an administrative nature by directing the questioning Applicant to specific provisions in the RFA. If the Department decides to respond to a non-administrative question after the date for receipt of questions, DHS will provide the answer to all Applicants through an addendum.

All questions and responses will be posted on the Department of General Services (“DGS”) website and are considered as an addendum to, and part of, this RFA in accordance with RFA Part I, Section I-11 of this RFA.

I-9. Addenda to the RFA. If the Department deems it necessary to revise any part of this RFA before the application response date, the Department will post an addendum to eMarketplace at http://www.emarketplace.state.pa.us/Search.aspx. It is the Applicant’s responsibility to periodically check the website for any new information or addenda to the RFA. The Department shall not be bound by any verbal information nor shall it be bound by any written information that is not either contained within the RFA or formally issues as an addendum.

I-10. Response Date. To be considered for selection, Applicants must submit electronic copies of their applications to the Issuing Office and the Issuing Office must receive the applications no later than the date and time specified in the Calendar of Events. Electronic copies of applications must be submitted to RA-PWRFAQUESTIONS@PA.GOV. Applicants should allow sufficient time for electronic submission and receipt of their applications. The Department will not accept hard copy applications or applications via facsimile transmission. The Department will reject late applications or portions of applications.

“Late” includes, but is not limited to, applications which are received within a minute or less after the due date and time, as well as, applications that are received several hours or days after the due date and time.

http://www.emarketplace.state.pa.us/Search.aspx

I-11. Application Requirements.

A. Application Submission: To be considered, Applicants should submit a complete response to this

RFA to the Issuing Office, using the format provided in Part I, Section I-11.B, providing one copy of the Technical Submittal (along with all requested documents), one redacted copy of the Technical Submittal, and one copy of the Cost Submittal via email to RA- PWRFAQUESTIONS@PA.GOV. The subject line of the email must specify “25-RFA-13139 Application”. Email attachments are limited to 10 MB, cumulatively, per email, and files may not be sent in any compressed format. Any part of the application or its attachments over that limit must be sent via separate emails, with each labeled “25-RFA-13139 Application Part X of Y” (with Y being the total number of emails). The DHS will not accept encrypted email for the application submission.

The electronic response must be in Microsoft Office or Microsoft Office-compatible format to include Adobe Acrobat pdf files, except for Appendix B, Cost Submittal, which should be submitted as a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet; and any spreadsheets must be in Microsoft Excel. If an Applicant designates information as confidential or proprietary or trade secret protected in accordance with Part I, Section I-17, the Applicant must also include one redacted version of the Technical Submittal, also excluding financial capability information. Applicants may not lock or protect any cells or tabs on the Cost Submittal Worksheet. Applicants shall not lock, encrypt or restrict access to any files.

Applicants shall make no other distribution of its application to any other Applicant or Commonwealth official or Commonwealth consultant. Each application page should be numbered for ease of reference. An official authorized to bind the Applicant to its provisions must sign the application. If the official signs the Application Cover Sheet (Appendix A to this RFA) and the Application Cover Sheet is attached to the Applicant’s application, the requirement will be met. For this RFA, the application must remain valid for 120 days or until an agreement is fully executed. If the Department selects the Applicant’s application for award, the contents of the selected Applicant’s application will become, except to the extent the contents are changed through Best and Final Offers or negotiations, contractual obligations.

Each Applicant submitting an application specifically waives the ability to withdraw or modify it, except that the Applicant may withdraw its application by written notice and submitting it to RA- PWRFAQUESTIONS@PA.GOV prior to the date and time specified in the Calendar of Events of when applications are due. An Applicant may modify its submitted application prior to the exact hour and date set for application receipt only by submitting a new application or modification that complies with the RFA requirements.

B. Application Format: Applicants should submit their applications in the format, including heading descriptions, outlined below. To be considered, the application should respond to all application requirements. Applicants should provide any other information thought to be relevant, but not applicable to the enumerated categories, as an appendix to the application. Each application shall consist of the following submittals:

1. Technical Submittal:

a. Applicants should format their responses as outlined below and should consider the email attachment file size limitations included in Section I-11. A. for file contents. The Technical Submittal shall include the following sections:

o Application Cover Sheet o Table of Contents mailto:RA-PWRFAQUESTIONS@PA.GOV mailto:RA-PWRFAQUESTIONS@PA.GOV o Statement of the Project o Management Summary o Qualifications o Financial Capability o Work Plan o Requirements o Reports & Project Controls o Key Performance Standards o Cost Submittal, in response to Part IV

b. Complete, sign and include Appendix D, Lobbying Certification and if applicable, the

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities.

c. Complete and include Appendix E, Worker Protection and Investment Certification Form.

Technical Submittals must adhere to the following format:

a. Pages must be 8.5 by 11 inches with right and left margins of one inch, and be double-spaced.

b. Must use Arial or Times New Roman font with a type size of 12.

c. Section headings, shown in this Part I, Section I-11, should be used.

d. Include a page number and identification of the Applicant in the page footer of each page.

e. Specifically reference materials provided in any appendix by page numbers in the body of the application.

f. Exceptions for paper and font size are permissible for project schedule or for graphical exhibits and material in appendices.

g. The Cost Submittal portion must follow the formatting described in Part I, Section I-II. A.

The Department may request additional information which, in the Department’s opinion, is necessary to verify that the Applicant’s competence, number of qualified employees, business organization, and financial resources are adequate to perform according to the RFA.

The Department may make investigations as deemed necessary to determine the ability of the Applicant to perform the Project, and the Applicant shall furnish to the Issuing Office all requested information and data. The Department may reject any application if the evidence submitted by, or investigation of, such Applicant fails to satisfy the Department that such Applicant is properly qualified to carry out the obligations of the RFA and to complete the Project as specified.

I-12. Economy of Preparation. Applicants should prepare applications simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise description of the Applicant’s ability to meet the requirements of the RFA.

I-13. Alternate Applications. The Department has identified the basic approach to meeting its requirements, allowing Applicants to be creative and propose their best solution to meeting these requirements. The Department will not accept alternate applications.

I-14. Discussions for Clarifications and Negotiations. Applicants may be required to make an oral or written clarification of their applications, or both, to the Department to ensure thorough mutual understanding and Applicant responsiveness to the solicitation requirements. The Department will initiate requests for clarifications. Clarifications may occur at any stage of the evaluation and selection process prior to the award of an agreement.

The Department, in its sole discretion, may undertake negotiations with Applicants whose applications, shown them to be qualified, responsible, and capable of performing the Project. Negotiations may occur at any stage of the evaluation and selection process prior to the award of an agreement.

I-15. Oral or Written Presentations. Applicants may be required to make an oral or written presentation of their applications to the Department to demonstrate an Applicant’s capabilities and ability to provide the services required in the RFA. The Department will initiate requests for presentations; and for oral presentations, may include a request that key personnel be present. The oral presentation will be held in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Presentations may be requested at any stage of the evaluation and selection process prior to the award of the grant agreement.

I-16. Prime Applicant Responsibilities. The Department will require the Applicant assume responsibility for all services offered in its application whether it produces them itself or by sub-agreement. The Department will consider the selected Applicant to be the sole point of contact for all agreement matters.

I-17. Application Contents.

A. Confidential Information. The Commonwealth does not require, confidential proprietary information or trade secrets be included as part of Applicants’ submissions. Except as provided, Applicants should not label applications as confidential or proprietary or trade secret protected. Any Applicant who determines that it must divulge such information as part of its application must submit the signed written statement described in Subsection C below and must provide a redacted version of its application in accordance with Part I, Section I-11.A., which removes only the confidential proprietary information and trade secrets, for required public disclosure purposes.

B. Commonwealth Use. All material submitted with the application shall be the property of the

Commonwealth. The Commonwealth has the right to use any or all ideas not protected by intellectual property rights that are presented in any application regardless of whether the application becomes part of an agreement. Notwithstanding any Applicant copyright designations contained on applications, the Commonwealth shall have the right to make copies and distribute applications internally and to comply with public record or other disclosure requirements under the provisions of any Commonwealth or United States statute or regulation, or rule or order of any court of competent jurisdiction.

C. Public Disclosure. After the award of a grant, all applications are subject to disclosure in response to a request for public records made under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know-Law, 65 P.S. § 67.101, et seq. If an application contains confidential proprietary information or trade secrets, the Applicant must provide a signed written statement to this effect with the submission in accordance with 65 P.S.

§ 67.707(b) for the information to be considered exempt under 65 P.S. § 67.708(b)(11) from public records requests. Refer to Appendix C of the RFA for a Trade Secret Confidential Proprietary Information Notice Form that may be utilized as the signed written statement. If financial capability information is submitted in response to Part III, Section III-5 such financial capability information is exempt from public records disclosure under 65 P.S. § 67.708(b)(26).

I-18. Best and Final Offers (“BAFO”).

A. While not required, the Department may conduct discussions with Applicants for the purpose of obtaining BAFOs. To obtain BAFOs, the Department may do one or more of the following, in any combination and order:

1. Schedule oral presentations;

2. Request revised applications; and

3. Enter into pre-selection negotiations.

B. The following Applicants will not be invited by the Department to submit a BAFO:

1. Those Applicants, which the Department has determined to be not responsible or whose applications the Department has determined to be not responsive.

2. Those Applicants, which the Department has determined from the submitted and gathered financial and other information, do not possess the financial capability, experience or qualifications to ensure good faith performance of the grant agreement.

3. Those Applicants whose raw score for their Technical Submittal is less than 75% of the total amount of raw technical points allotted to the technical criterion.

The Department may further limit participation in the BAFO process to those remaining responsible Applicants that the Department has, within its discretion, determined to be within the top competitive range of responsive applications.

C. The Evaluation Criteria found in Part II, Section II-4, shall also be used to evaluate the BAFOs.

D. Price reductions offered shall have no effect upon the Applicant’s Technical Submittal.

E. The Department, in its sole discretion, also may undertake negotiations with Applicants whose applications, in the judgement of DHS, show them to be qualified, responsible, and capable of performing the Project.

I-19. News Releases. Applicants shall not issue news releases, Internet postings, advertisements or any other public communications pertaining to this Project without prior written approval of the Department, and then only in coordination with the Department.

I-20. Restriction of Contact. From the issue date of this RFA until the Department selects an application for award, the Issuing Officer is the sole point of contact concerning this RFA. Any violation of this condition may be cause for the Department to reject the offending Applicant’s application. If the Department later discovers that the Applicant has engaged in any violations of this condition, the Department may reject the offending Applicant’s application or rescind its grant agreement. Applicants shall not distribute any part of their applications beyond the Issuing Office. An Applicant who shares information contained in its application with other Commonwealth personnel or consultants or competing Applicant personnel may be disqualified.

I-21. Department Participation. The selected Applicant shall provide all services, supplies, facilities, and other support necessary to complete the identified work, except as otherwise provided in Part I, Section I-21. The Department will assign a Department Grant Administrator who will manage the administration and monitoring of any agreement resulting from this RFA. The Department Grant Administrator will be the selected Applicant’s contact for agreement matters. The Grant Administrator and other Department staff will coordinate implementation and monitor for compliance with grant requirements and program policies and procedures.

I-22. Term of Agreement. The term of the agreement will commence on the Effective Date and will end two years after the Effective Date. Subject to the performance of the Applicant and other considerations, the Department may extend the agreement on the same terms and conditions for up to three additional one-year periods. The Department will fix the Effective Date after the agreement has been fully executed by the selected Applicant and by the Commonwealth and all approvals required by the Commonwealth have been obtained. The selected Applicant shall not start the performance of any work prior to the Effective Date of the agreement and the Commonwealth shall not be liable to pay the selected Applicant for any service or work performed or expenses incurred before the Effective Date.

I-23. Applicant’s Representations and Authorizations. By submitting its application, each Applicant understands, represents, and acknowledges that:

A. All Applicant’s information and representations in the application are material and important, and the Department will rely upon its contents in awarding the agreement. The Commonwealth may treat any misstatement, omission or misrepresentation as fraudulent concealment of the true facts relating to the application, punishable pursuant to 18 Pa. C.S. § 4904.

B. The Applicant has arrived at the price(s) and amounts in its application independently and without consultation, communication, or agreement with any other Applicant or potential Applicant.

C. The Applicant has not disclosed the price(s), the amount of the application, nor the approximate price(s) or amount(s) of its application to any other firm or person who is an Applicant or potential applicant, and the Applicant shall not disclose any of these items on or before the application submission deadline specified in the Calendar of Events.

D. The Applicant has not attempted, nor will it attempt, to induce any firm or person to refrain from submitting an application, or to submit an application higher than its application, or to submit any intentionally high or noncompetitive application or other form of complementary application.

E. The Applicant makes its application in good faith and not pursuant to any agreement or discussion with, or inducement from, any firm or person to submit a complementary or other noncompetitive application.

F. To the best knowledge of the person signing the application for the Applicant, the Applicant, its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers, directors, and employees are not currently under investigation by any governmental agency and have not in the last four years been convicted or found liable for any act prohibited by State or Federal law in any jurisdiction, involving conspiracy or collusion with respect to bidding or proposing on any public agreement, except as the Applicant has disclosed in its application.

G. To the best of the knowledge of the person signing the application for the Applicant and except as the

Applicant has otherwise disclosed in its application, the Applicant has no outstanding, delinquent obligations to the Commonwealth including, but not limited to, any state tax liability not being contested on appeal.

H. The Applicant is not currently under suspension or debarment by the Commonwealth, and has not been precluded from participation in any federally funded health care program by any other state or the federal government, and if the Applicant cannot so certify, then it shall submit along with its application a written explanation of why it cannot make such certification.

I. The Applicant has not made, under separate agreement with the Department, any recommendations to the Department concerning the need for the services or the specifications for the services described in the application.

J. Each Applicant, by submitting its application, authorizes Commonwealth agencies to release to the

Department information concerning the Applicant's Pennsylvania taxes, unemployment compensation and workers’ compensation liabilities.

K. Until the selected Applicant receives a fully executed and approved written agreement from the Issuing

Office, no legal and valid agreement exists, in law or in equity, and the Applicant shall not begin to perform.

L. The Applicant is not currently engaged, and will not during the duration of the agreement engage, in a boycott of a person or an entity based in or doing business with a jurisdiction that the Commonwealth is not prohibited by Congressional statute from engaging in trade or commerce.

I-24. Notification of Selection.

A. Negotiations. The Department will notify all Applicants in writing of the Applicant selected for negotiations after the Department has determined, taking into consideration all evaluation factors, the application that is the most advantageous to the Department.

B. Award. Applicants whose applications are not selected will be notified when negotiations have been successfully completed and the Department has received the final negotiated agreement signed by the selected Applicant.

I-25. Use of Electronic Versions of this RFA. This RFA is being made available by electronic means. If an

Applicant electronically accepts the RFA, the Applicant accepts full responsibility to ensure that no changes are made to the RFA. If a conflict arises between a version of the RFA in the Applicant’s possession and the Issuing Office’s version of the RFA, the Issuing Office’s version shall govern.

PART II

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION

II-1. Mandatory Responsiveness Requirements. To be eligible for selection, an application must:

A. Be timely received from an Applicant (see Part I, Section I-11);

B. Be properly signed by the Applicant (see Part I, Section I-11.A);

C. Be submitted by an Applicant that is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with non-profit service providers; and

D. Be submitted by an Applicant that has a physical address within the North Philadelphia HEZ, which is comprised of the following zip codes: 19120, 19121, 19122, 19123, 19124, 19125, 19130, 19131, 19132, 19133, 19134, 19138, 19140, 19141, 19144.

II-2. Technical Nonconforming Applications. The four Mandatory Responsiveness Requirements set forth in Section II-1 are the only RFA requirements that the Commonwealth will consider to be non-waivable.

The Department may, in its sole discretion, (1) waive any other technical or immaterial nonconformities in an Applicant’s application, (2) allow the Applicant to cure the nonconformity, or (3) consider the nonconformity in the scoring of the application.

II-3. Evaluation. The Department has selected a committee of qualified personnel to review and evaluate the

Technical Submittals of the timely submitted applications that are eligible for selection. The Department will provide written notice of its selection for negotiations the responsible Applicant whose application is determined to be the most advantageous to the Commonwealth after taking into consideration all evaluation factors.

II-4. Evaluation Criteria. The following criteria will be used in evaluating each application:

A. Technical: The Department has established the weight for the Technical criterion as 100% of the total points. Evaluation will be based upon the following:

Soundness of Approach. This includes, but is not limited to, the Applicant’s technical approach for completion of all services by this RFA, if it is responsive to all requirements of the RFA and if it meets the Project’s objectives.

Applicant Qualifications. This includes, but is not limited to, the ability of the Applicant to meet the terms of the RFA, including the time constraints involved with the Project and the quality, relevancy, and recentness of projects completed. This also includes the Applicant’s ability to undertake a Project of this size.

Personnel Qualifications. This includes, but is not limited to, the competence and sufficiency of the personnel and staff who would be assigned to the Project by the Applicant.

Understanding the Project. This includes the Applicant’s understanding of Commonwealth’s needs that generated the RFA, the objectives of the RFA, and of the nature and scope of the work involved.

Budget and Financial Planning: This includes, but is not limited to, the efficiency of allocated resources and how effective the proposed resources are allocated to achieve the proposed objectives.

The final Technical scores are determined by giving the maximum number of technical points available to the application with the highest raw technical score. The remaining applications are rated by applying the formula located at:

https://www.dgs.pa.gov/Materials-Services-Procurement/Procurement- Resources/Pages/RFP_SCORING_FORMULA.aspx

II-5. Applicant Responsibility. To be responsible, an Applicant must submit a responsive application and possess the capability to fully perform the agreement requirements in all respects and the integrity and reliability for the good faith performance of the agreement.

For an Applicant to be considered responsible for this RFA and eligible for selection for BAFO and selection for negotiations:

A. The total score for the Technical Submittal of the application must be greater than or equal to 75% of the available raw technical points; and

B. The Applicant’s financial information must demonstrate that the Applicant possesses the financial capability for the good faith performance of the agreement. The Commonwealth will review the Applicant’s previous three financial statements, any additional information received from the Applicant, and any other publicly-available financial information concerning the Applicant, and assess each Applicant’s financial capacity based on calculating and analyzing various financial ratios, and comparison with industry standards and trends.

An Applicant that fails to demonstrate sufficient financial capability to ensure good faith performance of the agreement as specified herein may be considered by the Department, in its sole discretion, for BAFO or negotiation contingent upon such Applicant providing performance security for the first agreement year cost proposed by the Applicant in a form acceptable to the Department. Based on the financial condition of the Applicant, the Department may require a certified or bank (cashier’s) check, letter of credit, or a performance bond conditioned upon the faithful performance of the agreement by the Applicant. The required performance security must be issued or executed by a bank or surety company authorized to do business in the Commonwealth. The cost of the required performance security will be the sole responsibility of the Applicant and cannot increase the Applicant’s cost application or the agreement cost to the Commonwealth.

Further, the Department will award an agreement only to an Applicant determined to be responsible in accordance with the most current version of Commonwealth Management Directive 215.9, Contractor Responsibility Program.

II-6. Final Ranking and Award.

A. After any BAFO process is conducted, the Issuing Office will combine the evaluation committee’s final technical scores in accordance with the relative weight assigned as set forth in this Part II.

B. The Issuing Office will rank responsible Applicants according to the total overall score assigned to each, in descending order.

https://www.dgs.pa.gov/Materials-Services-Procurement/Procurement-Resources/Pages/RFP_SCORING_FORMULA.aspx https://www.dgs.pa.gov/Materials-Services-Procurement/Procurement-Resources/Pages/RFP_SCORING_FORMULA.aspx

C. Except as provided in Section II-6.D, the Department must select for negotiations the Applicants with the highest overall scores.

D. The Department has the discretion to reject all applications or cancel the RFA, at any time prior to the time an agreement is fully executed, when it is in the best interests of the Commonwealth. The reasons for the rejection or cancellation shall be made part of the RFA file.

E. The Department anticipates that up to six Applications will be selected for negotiations and grant award, with maximum funding of $500,000 per year for each award.

F. The award of funds is contingent on the availability of state funding.

PART III

TECHNICAL SUBMITTAL

Through this RFA, the Department is seeking grantees to improve health outcomes in the HEZ using CHWs.

Selected Applicants will provide innovative interventions to impact the social and environmental barriers to health in children, older adults, frequent utilizers of emergency health services, and those with frequent hospital admissions, as well as health promotion in education programs.

Selected Applicants will utilize CHWs that are hired, trained, and employed in the HEZ, to provide targeted interventions in the areas of focus identified below. The selected Applicants shall provide services and information in a manner that is inclusive and accessible, medically accurate, trauma-informed, nonjudgmental, client-centered, and culturally responsible.

Applicants should demonstrate support of the integration of the CHWs into the community, including CHW employment in health centers and community organizations, with the ability to measure outcomes for the population served. Applicants may use a portion of the grant funding granted to support the specialized education and training needed for CHWs.

The Department has designated six social determinants of health and health conditions as areas of focus for this RFA. Applicants should use one or more of the social determinants or health conditions as the focus of its project:

1. Multi-generational household health needs

2. Food security

3. Mental health

4. Asthma

5. Diabetes

6. Substance Use Disorder

The Department has designated 15 zip codes as comprising the HEZ. Selected Applicants shall have a physical address located within one of the zip codes and shall provide grant services within one or more of the zip codes.

Applicants should note the zip code of their address and the zip code(s) in which they will provide grant services in the Statement of the Project, Section III-1.

III-1. Statement of the Project. State in succinct terms your understanding of the Project and the service required by this RFA. The Applicant’s response should demonstrate that the Applicant fully understands the scope of services to be provided, the Applicant’s responsibilities, and how the Applicant will effectively manage the grant.

Applicant Response

III-2. Management Summary. Include a narrative description of the proposed effort and a list of the items to be delivered and services to be provided. The Applicant should condense and highlight the contents of the Technical Submittal in a manner that allows a broad understanding of the entire Technical Submittal.

III-3. Qualifications.

A. Organization Overview. The Applicant should describe the corporate history and relevant experience of the Applicant. This section must detail information on the governing body, the date the organization was established, the date the organization began operations, the physical location of the organization, and the current size of the organization. The Applicant should provide an organizational chart.

The Applicant should describe its corporate identity, legal status and forms, including the name, address, telephone number, and email address for the legal entity that is submitting the application. In addition, the Applicant should provide the name of the principal officers and any specific licenses and accreditations held by the Applicant.

The Applicant should provide:

1. An overview of the Applicant’s mission;

2. The types of services the Applicant provides;

3. Who the services are typically provided to; and

4. How long the Applicant has been providing those services.

If an Applicant is proposing to use the services or products of a subsidiary or affiliated firm, the Applicant should describe the business arrangement with that entity and the scope of the services the entity will provide.

If the experience of any proposed subcontractor is being used to meet the qualifications and requirements of this RFA, the Applicant should provide the same information as listed above for the subcontractor. This information must be presented separately within this section, clearly identifying the subcontractor experience and name of the subcontractor.

The Applicant should disclose any contract or agreement cancellations, or terminations within five years preceding the issuance of this RFA. If a contract or agreement was cancelled or terminated for lack of performance, the Applicant must provide details on the customer’s allegations, the Applicant’s position relevant to the allegations, and the final resolution of the cancellation or the termination. The Applicant must include each customer’s Company or entity name, address, contact name, phone number, and email address.

The Department may disqualify an Applicant based on a failure to disclose such a cancelled or terminated agreement or agreement. If the Department learns about such a failure to disclose after an agreement is awarded, the Department may terminate the agreement.

B. Prior Experience. The Applicant should include experience in serving populations living in the HEZ, employing and utilizing Community Health Workers, and fulfilling grant agreement requirements.

Experience should be work done by individuals who will be assigned to this Project as well as that of your company. Studies or projects referred to should be identified and the name of the customer shown, including the name, address and telephone number of the responsible official of the customer, company, or agency who may be contacted.

The Applicant should also provide brief descriptions of:

1. At least three projects the Applicant offered in the last three years that are similar in scope to the proposed project;

2. The nature of the work of those projects, the total budget value, and the time-period in which services were provided;

3. How experience with these projects relate to the services requested by this RFA; and

4. A list of the successes and challenges of each project.

The Applicant should indicate if any of the Key Personnel assigned to the projects described above are the same as those being proposed for this RFA.

C. Personnel. Include the number of executive and professional personnel, analysts, auditors, researchers, programmers, consultants, and other staff, who will be engaged in the Project. Show where these personnel will be physically located during the time they are engaged in the Project. For “Key Personnel,” defined as the Grantee Project Manager, include the employee’s name and, through a resume or similar document, the Key Personnel’s education and experience in similar in size and scope projects. Indicate the responsibilities each individual will have in this Project and how long each has been with your company. Indicate the method of identifying CHWs to be engaged in this Project.

For non-Key Personnel, include position descriptions and minimum qualifications.

Submitted responses are not to include personal information that will, or will be likely to, require redaction to release of the application under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, including but not limited to home addresses and phone numbers, Social Security Numbers, driver’s license numbers or numbers from state identification cards issued in lieu of a driver’s license, and financial account numbers. If the Commonwealth requires any of this information for security validation or other purposes, the information will be requested separately and as necessary.

Include organizational charts outlining the staffing, reporting relationships and staff members in its description. Show the total number of staff proposed and indicate the Full Time Equivalents (“FTE”) to account for any additional staff (non-Key Personnel) that are not assigned on a full-time basis.

Provide similar information for any subcontractors that are proposed. The organizational chart must illustrate the lines of authority, designate the positions responsible and accountable for the completion of each component in the RFA, indicate the names and job title and number of personnel that will be assigned to each role, and the number of hours per week each person is projected to work on the Project. The organizational chart must clearly indicate any functions that are subcontracted along with the name of the subcontractors entities and the services they will perform.

Key Personnel Diversions or Replacement. Once Key Personnel are approved by the Department, the selected Applicant may not divert or replace personnel without prior approval of the Department’s Grant Administrator. The selected Applicant must provide notice of a proposed diversion or replacement to the Department’s Grant Administrator at least 30 calendar days in advance and provide the name, qualifications, and background check (if required) of the person who will replace the diverted personnel. The Department’s Grant Administrator will notify the selected Applicant within ten business days of the diversion notice whether the proposed diversion is acceptable and if the replacement was approved.

“Divert” or “diversion” is defined as the transfer of personnel by the selected Applicant or its subcontractor to another assignment within the control of either the Applicant or subcontractor.

Advance notification and approval does not include changes in Key Personnel due to resignations, death, disability, dismissal for cause or dismissal as a result of the termination of a subcontract or any other causes that are beyond the control of the selected Applicant or its subcontractor. The Department’s Grant Administrator must approve the replacement personnel.

The Department’s Grant Administrator may request that the selected Applicant remove a person from this Project at any time. For vacancies other than those caused by diversions and unless otherwise approved by the Grant Administrator, the selected Applicant will have ten business days to interim fill and 60 calendar days to permanently fill the vacancy with a person acceptable in terms of experience and skills, subject to the Department Grant Administrator’s approval.

D. Subcontractors. Provide a subcontracting plan for all subcontractors who will be assigned to the Project. The selected Applicants are prohibited from subcontracting or outsourcing any part of this Project without the express written approval of the Commonwealth. Upon award of the grant agreement, subcontractors included in the application submission are approved. For each position included in your subcontracting plan provide:

1. Name of subcontractor;

2. Address of subcontractor;

3. Primary contact name, email address and phone number;

4. Type of organization;

5. Number of years worked with the subcontractor;

6. Description of services to be performed;

7. Geographical location of staff; and

8. Resumes (if appropriate and available).

If applicable, the Applicant’s subcontractor information should include the employees’ names, education and experience in the services outlined in this RFA. Information provided should also include the responsibilities each individual will have in this Project and how long each has been with subcontractor’s company.

III-4. Training. If appropriate, indicate recommended training of agency personnel which should include the following:

1. The agency personnel to be trained;

2. The number of personnel to be trained;

3. The duration of the training program;

4. The location where training will occur;

5. The curricula and training materials to be used;

6. The number and frequency of sessions;

7. The number and level of instructors.

III-5. Financial Capability. Describe your company’s financial stability and economic capability to perform the agreement requirements. Provide your company’s financial statements (audited, if available) for the past three fiscal years. Financial statements must include the company’s Balance Sheet and Income Statement or Profit/Loss Statements. If your company is a publicly traded company, please provide a link to your financial records on your company website in lieu of providing hardcopies. The Commonwealth may request additional information it deems necessary to evaluate an Applicant’s financial capability.

III-6. Work Plan. Describe in narrative form your technical plan for accomplishing the work with the Project tasks and the major tasks and deliverables provided below as a reference point. Modifications of tasks are permitted; however, reasons for changes should be fully explained. Include a Program Evaluation and Review Technique (“PERT”) or similar type display, time related, showing each event. If more than one approach is apparent, comment on why this approach was chosen. The relationship between Key Personnel and the specifics tasks, assignments, and deliverables proposed to accomplish the scope of work should also be described.

The Applicant should describe its management approach, including how it will implement its proposed work plan. Where applicable, the Applicant should provide specific examples of methodologies or approaches, including monitoring approaches, it will use to fulfill the RFA requirements and examples of similar experience and approach on comparable projects. The Applicant should describe the management and monitoring controls it will use to achieve the required quality of services and all performance requirements. The Applicant should also address its approach to internally monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of meeting the agreement requirements.

The Applicant should include in the work plan its planned approach and process for establishing and maintaining communication between all parties and a technical approach that is aligned with all written specifications and requirements contained in the RFA.

The Applicant should showcase a commitment through its…