27TALBWB2 - Q and A - COMMBUYS - FINAL.docx

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Questions and Answers

Questions submitted on COMMBUYS, via the Q & A tab

Alternate ID: 27TALBWB2 COMMBUYS Bid #: BD-27-1026-DOE02-DOE01-134315 Q & A Close Date: 10/15/2026 Q & A Close Time: 12:00 PM

Date submitted on COMMBUYS

Question

Answer

Bidders should propose the number of participants, qualified trainers, schools/districts, cohorts, and training sessions that can reasonably be supported within their proposed budget and delivery capacity.

This project is intended to support appropriately qualified Massachusetts school personnel who are positioned to provide ongoing CPR/AED training within their schools or districts. Potential participants include health educators, physical educators, school nurses, athletic trainers, district health/physical education coordinators, administrators, and other appropriately qualified school personnel.

Responsibility is not explicitly assigned for recruiting and selecting participating personnel, schools, or districts to either DESE or the selected vendor.

Specific recruitment and selection responsibilities would therefore need to be clarified and established through the collaborative project design and implementation planning process.

Bidders should propose an equipment and distribution plan that supports initial CPR/AED training and sustainable school- and district-level implementation after the project ends.

The equipment plan must include appropriate adult CPR manikins, child and infant CPR manikins, AED training devices, replacement consumables, and other required equipment. Bidders must identify the quantity, unit cost, recipient, and ownership of equipment.

Equipment is not required to be allocated exclusively per instructor, school, district, or regional site. The proposed allocation and distribution approach should demonstrate how equipment will support continued local CPR/AED training.

The project is intended to increase equitable access to high-quality, hands-on CPR/AED education across Massachusetts and to build sustainable school- and district-level training capacity.

The selected vendor will collaborate with DESE to refine the project work plan and training model based on Massachusetts school and district needs, including opportunities to address gaps in access to CPR/AED education.

Bidders should describe their proposed geographic reach, the schools and districts they anticipate serving, and how their proposed training and equipment distribution plans will promote equitable access and sustainable implementation within the available budget.

The final project design and implementation plan will be developed in collaboration with DESE.

Bidders must identify the proposed CPR certification and instructor-training organization in Section 3 of their submission and describe the mechanisms for determining successful completion and instructor certification.

The proposed program must include hands-on CPR/AED skills practice, competency assessment, opportunities to practice teaching CPR/AED skills, and completion of applicable instructor-training and certification requirements.

Accordingly, bidders may propose a certification and instructor-training pathway that satisfies the requirements described in Attachment A. The proposed pathway and the bidder's qualifications and authorization to deliver it must be clearly documented in the response.

The selected vendor may provide and/or subcontract CPR/AED instructor-training and certification activities, provided that the proposed organization or subcontractor possesses the appropriate credentials and authorization for the certification pathway. Bidders must identify the proposed certification organization, describe any subcontractor's role, and explain how successful completion and instructor certification will be determined.

The proposed program must support sustainable school- and district-level CPR/AED training capacity.

Bidders should propose an itemized budget that includes all costs necessary to implement the project, including personnel, subcontractors, certification, equipment, training materials, technical assistance, evaluation, and administrative expenses.

The Department is interested in maximizing sustainable CPR/AED training capacity within the available funding. Proposed cost-effectiveness will be considered during the selection process.

The total proposed budget, including all subcontractor costs, may not exceed $425,000.

Bidders should identify the number of participants, qualified trainers, schools/districts, cohorts, and training sessions that can reasonably be supported within their proposed budget and delivery capacity.

Proposals should demonstrate cost-effectiveness, equitable access, and the ability to establish sustainable CPR/AED training capacity within participating schools and districts.

All project activities and deliverables must be completed by June 30, 2027.

Bidders must demonstrate appropriate credentials and authorization for their proposed CPR/AED certification and instructor-training pathway. The proposed program must align with the 2023 Massachusetts Comprehensive Health and Physical Education Framework, including standards addressing student proficiency in CPR and AED use.

Required are appropriate adult, child, and infant CPR manikins, AED training devices, replacement consumables, and other necessary training equipment. There are no specific additional technical equipment standards.

Bidders should clearly describe their proposed certification pathway, training curriculum, equipment specifications, and methods for assessing participant competency and successful completion.

Preferred qualifications include experience operating in Massachusetts, familiarity with Massachusetts schools and districts, experience implementing CPR training in school or district settings, and demonstrated evidence that professional learning has improved educator capacity or implementation.

Bidders are encouraged to describe relevant school and district partnerships, prior CPR/AED education initiatives, and evidence of program outcomes in their Expertise and Experience Narrative.

Such experience will be considered in relation to the required and preferred qualifications outlined in Attachment A.

Bidders must propose an equipment plan identifying the quantity, unit cost, recipient, and ownership of CPR/AED training equipment and materials.

The proposed distribution model should support continued school- and district-level CPR/AED training after the project ends. Bidders should describe how equipment will be distributed, maintained, and made available to support sustainable local implementation.

The final equipment distribution and implementation plan will be refined in collaboration with DESE as part of the project design process.

DESE is interested in maximizing sustainable CPR/AED training capacity within the available funding. Bidders should propose the number of participants, qualified trainers, schools/districts, cohorts, and training sessions that can reasonably be supported within their proposed budget and delivery capacity.

The total contract amount, including all subcontractor costs, may not exceed $425,000. Proposed cost-effectiveness will be a criterion in the selection process, and all project services and deliverables must be completed by June 30, 2027.

Bidders should describe how their relevant experience, including CPR/AED instructor training delivered through an accredited training center or EMS education program, demonstrates their ability to meet this requirement and support the project's intended school- and district-level outcomes.

Attachment A also permits the use of subcontractors and requires bidders to describe the relevant experience and qualifications of proposed subcontractors. Bidders should clearly identify the respective qualifications, experience, and responsibilities of the prime contractor and any proposed subcontractors.

Qualifications will be evaluated based on the requirements outlined in the procurement documents.

Required Qualification 6 calls for demonstrated capacity to manage subcontractors and coordinate a multi-school or multi-district project.

Bidders proposing to self-perform project services may describe relevant prior experience managing subcontractors or specialized training partners on other projects as evidence of their capacity to meet this qualification.

Bidders should clearly describe their organizational capacity to coordinate and manage the proposed project, including any relevant prior subcontractor or partner management experience.

Bidders may propose multiple complementary training components or courses within one comprehensive program, provided the proposed approach meets the requirements outlined in Attachment A.

Bidders should clearly describe each proposed course or training component, including its objectives, content, format, contact hours, participant requirements, hands-on practice, competency assessments, and applicable certification requirements.

The overall program must demonstrate alignment with the 2023 Massachusetts Comprehensive Health and Physical Education Framework and support sustainable school- and district-level CPR/AED training capacity.

Bidders should identify the number of participants and qualified trainers who can be supported within the proposed budget, along with the anticipated number of schools/districts, cohorts, and training sessions.

The project is intended to build sustainable local capacity so that trained school personnel can subsequently provide CPR/AED education within their schools and districts.

Bidders may describe the anticipated broader reach of their proposed program as part of their implementation and sustainability plans. However, there is not a separate requirement to include students or other individuals subsequently trained by these instructors in the initial train-the-trainer participant count.

Bidders must describe a school- and district-level implementation and sustainability plan that addresses instructor credential maintenance, equipment maintenance and replacement, training schedules, and integration into existing health and physical education programming.

Bidders should explain their proposed approach to supporting instructor credential maintenance beyond June 30, 2027, including any applicable training center affiliation requirements associated with their proposed certification pathway.

The proposed approach should support sustainable local CPR/AED training capacity beyond the contract period.

Bidders should propose a realistic implementation timeline that accounts for project planning, participant training, instructor certification, equipment distribution, technical assistance, evaluation, and final reporting.

All project services and deliverables must be completed by June 30, 2027.

The proposed budget must be inclusive of all costs necessary to provide the services described in Attachment A and may not exceed $425,000.

Bidders should account for any anticipated facility or venue costs associated with their proposed delivery model and identify any assumptions regarding the availability of school or district training space.

The final training model and implementation plan will be refined in collaboration with DESE.

Section 2 of Attachment A requires bidders to describe their organization's efforts to support equity, accessibility, and inclusion, including how the proposed training will address accessibility and diverse learning needs.

Bidders should describe how accessibility will be incorporated into the proposed program, including training materials, instructional activities, and participant supports. Bidders should refer to the applicable digital accessibility requirements in the procurement documents for those specific submission expectations.

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