8-HSS-26-035 Substance Use Disorder Services.docx

Delaware Health and Social Services

Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health d

SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER SERVICES

ISSUED BY DIVISION OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH

CONTRACT NUMBER HSS-26-035

Contents:

Attachment 1 – No Proposal Reply Form Attachment 2 – Non-Collusion Statement Attachment 3 – Exceptions Attachment 4 – Confidentiality and Proprietary Information Attachment 5 – Business References Attachment 6 – Subcontractor Information Form Attachment 7 – Monthly Usage Report Attachment 8 – Subcontracting (2nd Tier Spend) Report Attachment 9 – List of Contracts in the State of Delaware Form Attachment 10 – Office of Supplier Diversity Application

Appendix B.1 - Outpatient Services (ASAM Level 1) Appendix B.2 - Ambulatory Withdrawal Management with Extended Onsite Monitoring (ASAM Level 2/WM) Appendix B.3 - Intensive Outpatient Treatment (IOP) (ASAM Level 2.1) Appendix B.4 - Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) (ASAM Level 2.5) Appendix B.5 - Clinically Managed Low Intensity Residential Treatment for Specialized Population Services (ASAM Level 3.1) Appendix B.6- Clinically Managed High Intensity Residential Services (ASAM Level 3.5) Appendix B.7 - Medically Monitored Intensive Inpatient Services (ASAM Level 3.7) Appendix B.8: Medically Monitored Inpatient Withdrawal Management Services (ASAM Level 3.7 WM) Appendix B. 9 Opioid Treatment Programs (OTP) Appendix B.10 - Technical Requirements Appendix C - Division of Substance Abuse & Mental Health (DSAMH) Policies Appendix D - Business Proposal Requirements Appendix D.1 - Budget Workbook Instructions Appendix D.2 - Budget Workbook Appendix D.3 - RFP Financial Survey Appendix E - Divisional Requirements Appendix F - Professional Services Agreement Appendix G - HIPAA Business Associate Agreement Appendix H - State of Delaware Terms and Conditions Governing Cloud Services and Data Usage Agreement

** CTRL Click on the headings above will take you directly to the section.

I. Overview The State of Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, seeks professional services for Substance Use Disorder Services . This request for proposals (“RFP”) is issued pursuant to 29 Del. C. §§ 6981 and 6982.

The proposed schedule of events subject to the RFP is outlined below:

Public Notice 12/08/2025

Deadline for Questions 01/12/2026

Mandatory/Non-Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting 02/12/2026 @ 1:00 PM EST

Response to Questions Posted by 02/26/2026

Deadline for Receipt of Proposals 03/26/2026 at 1:00 PM EST

Estimated Notification of Award 04/16/2026

Each proposal must be accompanied by a transmittal letter which briefly summarizes the proposing firm’s interest in providing the required professional services. The transmittal letter must also clearly state and justify any exceptions to the requirements of the RFP which the applicant may have taken in presenting the proposal. (Applicant exceptions must also be recorded on Attachment 3).

Furthermore, the transmittal letter must attest to the fact, at a minimum, that the Vendor shall not store or transfer non-public State of Delaware data outside of the United States.

For technology related solicitations, Vendors may refer to the Delaware Department of Technology and Information identified terms and conditions included in this solicitation.

The State of Delaware reserves the right to deny any and all exceptions taken to the RFP requirements.

This is a non-mandatory meeting

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Questions may be submitted no later than 01/12/2026. All inquiries must be submitted in the Q/A section of the project listing in the Bonfire Procurement Portal (https://dhss.bonfirehub.com).

The Department’s response to questions will be posted, according to the procurement schedule, under the project listing in Bonfire and to the State of Delaware Bid Solicitation Directory Website: http://www.bids.delaware.gov/ by February 26, 2026.

II. Scope of Services

Note: The Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health is in need of additional vendors to address the State’s Substance Use Disorder Services. Vendors awarded a contract under RFP HSS-24-009 – Substance Use Disorder Services, do not need to submit a bid for this RFP.

See Appendix B for Full Scope of Services

0. Definitions and Acronyms For purposes of this RFP, the following definitions apply.

1. ASAM criteria is the American Society of Addiction Medicine criteria, which is defined as the most widely used and comprehensive set of guidelines for placement, continued stay, transfer, or discharge of individuals with addiction and co-occurring conditions.

2. ASSIST is the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test developed for the World Health Organization (WHO) by an international group of substance use disorder researchers to detect substance misuse and other conditions in individuals.

3. AUDIT-C is the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, an alcohol screening that can help identify individuals who have active alcohol use issues or disorders.

4. Behavioral Health is an umbrella term that includes substance use disorders and mental health disorders/conditions.

5. BAM is the Brief Addiction Monitor, a standard set of questions about several areas of an individual’s life such as health, alcohol, and drug use.

6. CAGE AID is a validated questionnaire used for the purpose of screening for alcohol and drug problems.

7. Care Management is a team-based, person-centered approach “designed to assist individuals and their support systems in managing medical conditions more effectively,”[footnoteRef:2] consisting of activities to decrease the health risks and costs of a given population including population health assessment, team-based care, and care coordination of interventions across healthcare settings. Care managers are typically licensed or unlicensed professionals with a range of training backgrounds. [2: ]

8. Care Coordination is defined as deliberately organizing client care activities and sharing information among all of the participants concerned with an individual’s care to achieve safer and more effective care.[footnoteRef:3] Care Coordination consists of activities to communicate an individual’s health needs, treatments and outcomes among all the intervening health and social services professionals and ensuring smooth transitions of care from one treatment level or setting to another as an individual’s needs change. [3: ]

9. Case Management consists of person-centered activities to assist individuals with solving problems with management of their substance use disorder with or without other mental health disorders. Such activities include assessment, care planning, outcomes measurement, and promoting an individual’s self-determination. Case managers are typically licensed professionals, including social workers and nurses.

10. CBT refers to cognitive behavioral therapy, a psychosocial intervention that aims to improve mental health by challenging and changing unhelpful cognitive distortions and behaviors, improving emotional regulation, and facilitating the development of personal coping strategies that target solving current problems

11. Co-occurring conditions refer to the presence of SUD with additional behavioral health/mental health conditions.

12. Co-morbidities refer to the presence of multiple physical and/or behavioral health conditions at the same time.

13. Crisis Intervention is a face-to-face, clinical intervention that can occur in a variety of locations including, but not limited to, an emergency room, clinic, or outpatient facility, as well as community-based setting, such as where the individual lives, works, attends school, and socializes.

14. CRAFFT is a short, industry-validated, substance use screening tool for adolescents aged 12-21. It is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Bright Futures Guidelines for preventive care screenings and well-visits. The acronym CRAFFT stands each of the six areas in the second section of the screening: Car, Relax, Alone, Forget, Friends, Trouble.

15. DAST-10 is the Drug Abuse Screening Test, a 10-item self-report instrument that has been condensed from the 28-item instrument. The DAST-10 briefly measures lifetime problem severity that can be used to guide further inquiry into drug-related problems and to help determine needed treatment intensity. It was selected by researchers from the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) to serve as the recommended assessment tool for use in general medical settings.

16. DHSS is the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services.

17. DSM is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and is used by clinicians, researchers, regulatory agencies, payers, the legal system, policy makers, and other stakeholders as the authoritative guide to the diagnosis of mental disorders.

18. DSAMH is the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health.

19. EMR/EHR is electronic medical record and electronic health record.

20. FTE is the acronym for Full Time Equivalent and is calculated by dividing the employee's scheduled hours by the employer’s hours for a full-time work week.

21. FQHC is an acronym for Federally Qualified Health Center. FQHC’s provide a range of services including: Medical, dental, and behavioral health care, preventative services and chronic disease management.

22. Harm reduction is an approach which uses policies, programs and practices that aim to minimize negative health, social, and legal impacts associated with drug use, drug policies, and drug laws.

23. ICP is the acronym for individualized care plan, which is a formalized summary of the individual’s medical, psychiatric, and social history. It also documents any disruptive behaviors, reviews hospital utilization patterns and proposes a set of management strategies focused on providing high‐quality care while limiting unnecessary admissions.

24. ICT is the acronym for Interdisciplinary Care Team, which is a team of healthcare professionals from different professional disciplines who work together to manage the physical, psychological, and spiritual needs of the client. Members of the Interdisciplinary Care Team may include Physicians, Nurses, Case Managers, Social Workers, Behavioral Health Providers, Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Chaplains, Dietitians, Pharmacists and family members.

25. LOC is an acronym used to describe the ASAM levels of care. Within the broad levels of care, decimal numbers are used to further express gradations of intensity of services.

26. LGBTQ+ is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, queer, and including other categories of sexual orientation and identities.

27. MAT is the acronym for Medications for Addiction Treatment including MOUD, referring behavioral therapy and medications (including Methadone, Naltrexone and Buprenorphine) to treat substance use disorders.

28. Medication First approach is a low barrier MAT/MOUD approach that provides medications as quickly as possible, prior to lengthy assessments or treatment planning sessions, without arbitrary tapering or time limits, and without requirements to participate in psychosocial services.

29. MOUD is an acronym for Medication for Opioid Use Disorders and refers to the use of medications to treat opioid use disorders.

30. Naloxone is a medication designed to rapidly reverse opioid overdose.

31. NIDA is the National Institute of Drug Abuse.

32. OTP refers to Opioid Treatment Program, which provides medication for opioid use disorder. OTPs must successfully adhere to state and SAMHSA certification and accreditation process and meet other requirements.

33. OUD is an acronym for Opioid Use Disorder.

34. PDMP refers to the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. The Delaware Prescription Monitoring Act (16 Del. C.§ 4798) authorizes the Office of Controlled Substances (OCS) in the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation to establish, maintain, and monitor the PDMP. The purpose of the PDMP is to reduce misuse of controlled substances in Delaware and to promote improved professional practice and patient care.

35. PROMISE refers to Promoting Optimal Mental Health for Individuals through Supports and Empowerment. This program serves individuals with behavioral health needs and functional limitations, offering an array of home and community-based services (HCBS) that are person-centered, recovery-oriented, and aimed at supporting beneficiaries in the community. PROMISE is designed to help improve clinical and recovery outcomes and reduce unnecessary institutional care through better care coordination, and thereby also reduce the growth in overall program costs.

36. PRSS is the acronym for Peer Recovery Support Specialist, referring to an individual who has lived experience and recovery with mental illness, addiction or co-occurring conditions. Peer Recovery Support Specialists are specially trained professionals who support others going through similar life challenges they once experienced. They assist individuals in developing the skills and resources they need to live an independent and productive life in the community.

37. SBIRT refers to Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment, an early intervention approach focused on identifying and engaging individuals at risk of developing substance use disorders.

38. Screening for Unmet Social Needs refers to a standard set of questions that ask about food insecurity, housing instability, transportation access, interpersonal violence issues, among other social determinants of health.

39. SPMI is the acronym for Serious and Persistent Mental Illness.

40. SUD the acronym for substance use disorder. This diagnostic term is defined in the DSM 5, the fifth edition of the DSM, and refers to the recurrent use of alcohol or other drugs which cause clinically and functionally significant impairment, such as health problems, disability, and failure to meet major responsibilities at work, school, or home. Depending on the level of severity, this disorder is classified as mild, moderate, or severe.

41. SUPRT is the SAMHSA's Unified Performance Reporting Tools (SUPRT) that requires providers to engage in patient outcomes monitoring and performance management tasks including use of specified data collection tools, for specific Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration-funded initiatives

42. TIC is the acronym for Trauma Informed Care, defined as an organizational structure and treatment framework that involves understanding, recognizing, and responding to the effects of all types of traumas.

43. Uninsured & Underinsured Population: Uninsured means no third-party payer exists; the client is considered indigent. Underinsured means a third-party payer exists, but the insured lacks the resources to secure services when a service is not covered under their active plan or when their insurance benefits have been exhausted.

0. Background/Agency Description

Delaware remains on the frontlines of the opioid and stimulant use epidemics. In 2023, Delaware had the third highest drug overdose death rate in the country, according to the CDC. Based on CDC data, Delaware’s age-adjusted rate of overdose deaths was 53.8, per 100,000 residence population with only West Virginia (79.5) and Washington, D.C. (100.3) having a higher ranking (the national average was 33.5). From 2020 to 2023, drug overdose deaths in Delaware increased from 446 to 531.

The CDC has not yet released their finalized national data for 2024. However, the Delaware Drug Monitoring Initiative reports that in 2024, Delaware’s drug overdose deaths decreased by 36%. Of the 338 deaths occurring in 2024, the most common substance found was fentanyl (43% of all deaths), followed by cocaine (26% of all deaths).

According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 19.1 percent of people aged 12 or older in 2023 (or 54.2 million people) needed substance use treatment in the 2023. Consistent with data on the presence of an SUD, the percentage of people needing substance use treatment was highest among young adults aged 18 to 25 (28.7 percent or 9.8 million people), followed by adults aged 26 or older (18.6 percent or 41.5 million people), then by adolescents aged 12 to 17 (11.2 percent or 2.9 million people).

DSAMH has the primary responsibility for providing and overseeing public mental health and substance use treatment and recovery services for individuals who are 18 years old and older. The mission of the Division is to improve the quality of life of adults with behavioral health conditions by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting those who are at risk. Reducing the impact of substance use and addiction on individuals, families and communities is part of this mission.

The Division is authorized by Title 16 Delaware Code, Ch. 22, 16 Delaware Code Ch. 51, and Title 29 Delaware Code, Ch. 79 to license and regulate organizations providing treatment for behavioral health disorders including substance use disorders and mental health disorders. These regulations shall apply to any organization as defined in 16 Delaware Code, Ch. 22 and Ch. 51.

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The above is a heat map displays the locations of current DSAMH-SUD licensed providers. The distribution of provider locations across the counties, are identified below:

· Kent: 39 facilities (24% of the total)

· New Castle: 87 facilities (54% of the total)

· Sussex: 34 facilities (22% of the total)

Purpose of RFP Delaware Health and Social Services, Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) is seeking proposals from qualified providers who will operate a range of substance use disorder services for residents of the State of Delaware who are uninsured and underinsured. These services will encompass The American Society of Addiction Medicine’s (ASAM) Criteria and principles as permitted and established by DSAMH, alongside of billing and regulatory capacity. Proposals for services will be expected to meet individuals’ medical, social, and behavioral health needs, including substance use, with or without other mental health disorders.

DSAMH envisions a SUD system of care that offers a comprehensive continuum of evidence-based, trauma-informed, and recovery-oriented services. This system of care should offer all ASAM levels of care and, as much as practicable, provide multiple levels of care within one provider to reduce care transitions. As such, this solicitation is designed to fund programs that can offer a wide array of ASAM levels of care. Vendors are encouraged to bid on the full spectrum of services in this RFP regardless of their current licensed capability. DSAMH also wishes to fund services that meets the needs of special populations who remain un- or under-treated by the SUD system of care.

Successful vendors must demonstrate the ability to provide comprehensive treatment and recovery services to individuals living within the state of Delaware by meeting the eligibility requirements described under the attached scope of services. Vendors must demonstrate the ability to care for people with substance use with or without other mental health disorders and provide services that are evidence-based, trauma-informed, and person-centered, supporting individuals decision-making abilities and preferences. In addition, providers must demonstrate their ability to meet the needs of individuals within the priority populations identified herein.

The addictions treatment system is rapidly shifting in our state, and the needs for specific treatment interventions and levels of care are shifting as well. In 2025, our acute focus on Withdrawal Management and High Intensity Residential treatment services statewide.

Description of Services DSAMH recognizes the role of holistic, integrated treatment services and recovery supports for individuals with behavioral health needs. DSAMH requires that all SUD treatment providers use the current state licensure requirements and the ASAM multi-dimensional assessment to provide a holistic assessment of the individual.

Proposed solutions should provide comprehensive services and supports as outlined in Appendix B with additional integrated services. Vendors may seek to provide services for one or more of the following defined levels of care:

· Outpatient Treatment - ASAM Level 1

· Ambulatory Withdrawal Management with Extended Onsite Monitoring - ASAM Level 2/WM

· Intensive Outpatient - ASAM Level 2.1

· Partial Hospitalization Program - ASAM Level 2.5

· Clinically Managed Low Intensity Residential - ASAM Level 3.1

· Clinically Managed High-Intensity Residential Treatment - ASAM Level 3.5

· Medically Monitored Intensive Inpatient Treatment- ASAM Level 3.7

· Medically Monitored Inpatient Withdrawal Management - ASAM Level 3.7/WM

Vendors may also seek to provide services as an Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) if they are licensed by federal and state regulatory bodies as such.

E. Target Populations The target population for the services outlined in this RFP is adult residents of Delaware (18 years of age and over) who meet ASAM criteria for the applicable SUD services (ASAM Levels, 1, 2, 2.1, 2.5, 3.1, 3.5 and 3.7). Selected Vendors must have a plan for high-risk populations, such as transition-age youth, people who use intravenous drugs, pregnant and parenting people, parents with dependent children, veterans, LGBTQ+ persons, justice-involved populations, individuals in high-need zip codes, racial and ethnic minorities, and individuals who are attempting to regain custody of their children.

Services will be provided to meet the diverse needs of individuals with substance use issues, with or without other mental health disorders, within the community served. This will be evidenced by the health and satisfaction of the individuals served and other key performance measures, such as those as outlined in this RFP. DSAMH will determine eligibility for the program and work with beneficiaries to identify the need for the appropriate SUD level of care. High-risk populations as described above will receive first preference for treatment services. Vendors must describe how they will manage their wait list, with prioritization for these high-risk populations for the uninsured and underinsured individuals.

Additional information regarding specific scope of services that will delivered under this RFP can be found in Appendix B.

III. Required Information The following information shall be provided in each proposal in the order listed below. Failure to respond to any request for information within this proposal may result in rejection of the proposal at the sole discretion of the State.

A. Minimum Requirements

1. Provide Delaware license(s) and/or certification(s) necessary to perform services as identified in the scope of work.

2. Prior to the execution of an award document, the successful Vendor shall either furnish the Agency with proof of State of Delaware Business Licensure or initiate the process of application where required.

3. Vendor shall provide responses to the Request for Proposal (RFP) scope of work and clearly identify capabilities as presented in the General Evaluation Requirements below.

4. Complete all appropriate attachments and forms as identified within the RFP.

5. Proof of insurance and amount of insurance shall be furnished to the Agency prior to the start of the contract period and shall be no less than as identified in the bid solicitation, Section V, Item G, subsection 8 (insurance).

B. General Evaluation Requirements

1. Organizational Background and Capabilities Relevant to the Project

2. Expertise

3. Soundness of Approach

4. Services to High-Need Populations

5. Sustainability

6. Partnerships with Community-Based Providers and Other Strategies to Address Social Determinants of Health

7. Contract Compliance and Reporting

8. Partnerships with Primary Care Providers

9. Pricing/Budget

C. Minimum Mandatory Submission Requirements are listed in Appendix A.

D. Scope of Work and Technical Requirements are listed in Appendix B.

E. Contracted Provider Policies are listed in Appendix C

F. Business Requirements are listed in Appendix D.

G. Attachments and Appendices are included herein for your submission.

IV. Professional Services RFP Administrative Information A. RFP Issuance

1. Public Notice Public notice has been provided in accordance with 29 Del. C. § 6981.

2. Obtaining Copies of the RFP This RFP is available in electronic form through the State of Delaware Procurement website at www.bids.delaware.gov and on Bonfire at https://dhss.bonfirehub.com.

Paper copies of this RFP will not be available.

3. Assistance to Vendors with a Disability Vendors with a disability may receive accommodation regarding the means of communicating this RFP or participating in the procurement process. For more information, contact the Designated Contact no later than ten days prior to the deadline for receipt of proposals.

4. RFP Designated Contact All requests, questions, or other communications about this RFP shall be made through Euna Procurement (formerly known as Bonfire) at https://dhss.bonfirehub.com.

Communications made to other State of Delaware personnel or attempting to ask questions by phone or in person will not be allowed or recognized as valid and may disqualify the vendor.

The RFP designated contact is:

DOMINIQUE M. PULEIO

Planner IV dominique.puleio@delaware.gov

Contracts, Management and Procurement Contact:

Adeyeye Awope Management Analyst III DHSS_DMS_dmsprocure@delaware.gov

5. Consultants and Legal Counsel The State of Delaware may retain consultants or legal counsel to assist in the review and evaluation of this RFP and the vendors’ responses. Bidders shall not contact the State’s consultant or legal counsel on any matter related to the RFP.

6. Contact with State Employees Direct contact with State of Delaware employees other than the State of Delaware Designated Contact regarding this RFP is expressly prohibited without prior consent. Vendors directly contacting State of Delaware employees risk elimination of their proposal from further consideration. Exceptions exist only for organizations currently doing business in the State who require contact in the normal course of doing that business.

7. Organizations Ineligible to Bid Any individual, business, organization, corporation, consortium, partnership, joint venture, or any other entity including subcontractors currently debarred or suspended is ineligible to bid. Any entity ineligible to conduct business in the State of Delaware for any reason is ineligible to respond to the RFP.

8. Exclusions The Proposal Evaluation Team reserves the right to refuse to consider any proposal from a vendor who:

a. Has been convicted for commission of a criminal offense as an incident to obtaining or attempting to obtain a public or private contract or subcontract, or in the performance of the contract or subcontract:

b. Has been convicted under State or Federal statutes of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, receiving stolen property, or other offense indicating a lack of business integrity or business honesty that currently and seriously affects responsibility as a State contractor:

c. Has been convicted or has had a civil judgment entered for a violation under State or Federal antitrust statutes:

d. Has violated contract provisions such as;

(1) Known failure without good cause to perform in accordance with the specifications or within the time limit provided in the contract; or

(2) Failure to perform or unsatisfactory performance in accordance with terms of one or more contracts;

e. Has violated ethical standards set out in law or regulation; and

f. Any other cause listed in regulations of the State of Delaware determined to be serious and compelling as to affect responsibility as a State contractor, including suspension or debarment by another governmental entity for a cause listed in the regulations.

B. RFP Submissions

1. Acknowledgement of Understanding of Terms By submitting a bid, each vendor shall be deemed to acknowledge that it has carefully read all sections of this RFP, including all forms, schedules and exhibits hereto, and has fully informed itself as to all existing conditions and limitations.

2. Proposals To be considered, all proposals must be submitted in through Euna Procurement (formerly Bonfire) at https://dhss.bonfirehub.com/ and respond to the items outlined in this RFP.

The State reserves the right to reject any non-responsive or non-conforming proposals.

Responses submitted by hard copy, mail, facsimile, or e-mail will not be accepted.

All proposals must be submitted prior to 1:00 PM EST/EDT on 03/26/2026.

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

a. Proposals must be received before the Proposal Due Date and Time, as identified in the Procurement Schedule for this RFP.

Responses received after the Proposal Due Date and Time will not be accepted.

b. Upload your submission at: https://dhss.bonfirehub.com

Important Notes:

· Logging in and/or uploading the file(s) does not mean the response is submitted. Users must successfully upload all the file(s) and MUST click the submit button before the proposal due date and time.

· Users will receive an email confirmation receipt with a unique confirmation number once the submission has been finalized. This will confirm that the proposal has been submitted successfully.

· Each submitted item of Requested Information will only become visible to DHSS after the proposal due date and time.

· If the file is mandatory, you will not be able to complete your submission until the requirement is met.

· Uploading large documents may take significant time depending on the size of the file(s) and your Internet connection speed. The maximum upload file size is 1000 MB.

· Minimum system requirements: Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox. Java Script must be enabled.

· Notarizations are no longer required.

Need Help? Please contact Euna Procurement (formerly Bonfire) directly at Support@GoBonfire.com or 1(800)354-8010 ext. 2 for technical questions or issues related to your submission. You can also visit their help forum at https://bonfirehub.zendesk.com/hc.

Any proposal submitted after the Deadline for Receipt of Proposals date will not be accepted. The contents of any proposal shall not be disclosed as to be made available to competing entities during the negotiation process.

Upon receipt of vendor proposals, each vendor shall be presumed to be thoroughly familiar with all specifications and requirements of this RFP. The failure or omission to examine any form, instrument or document shall in no way relieve vendors from any obligation in respect to this RFP.

3. Proposal Modifications Any changes, amendments or modifications to a proposal must be submitted through Bonfire prior to the proposal due date. Changes, amendments or modifications to proposals shall not be accepted or considered after the hour and date specified as the deadline for submission of proposals.

4. Proposal Costs and Expenses The State of Delaware will not pay any costs incurred by any Vendor associated with any aspect of responding to this solicitation, including proposal preparation, printing or delivery, attendance at vendor’s conference, system demonstrations or negotiation process.

5. Proposal Expiration Date Prices quoted in the proposal shall remain fixed and binding on the bidder at least through December 31,2026. The State of Delaware reserves the right to ask for an extension of time if needed.

6. Late Proposals Proposals submitted after the specified date and time will not be accepted by the Bonfire Portal. Evaluation of the proposals is expected to begin shortly after the proposal due date. To document compliance with the deadline, the proposal will be date and time stamped upon receipt by Bonfire.

7. Proposal Opening The State of Delaware will receive proposals via Bonfire until the date and time shown in this RFP. Proposals will be opened in the presence of State of Delaware personnel.

There will be no public opening of proposals, but a public log will be kept of the names of all vendor organizations that submitted proposals. The contents of any proposal shall not be disclosed in accordance with Executive Order # 31 and Title 29, Delaware Code, Chapter 100.

8. Non-Conforming Proposals Non-conforming proposals will not be considered. Non-conforming proposals are defined as those that do not meet the requirements of this RFP. The determination of whether an RFP requirement is substantive, or a mere formality shall reside solely within the State of Delaware.

9. Concise Proposals The State of Delaware discourages overly lengthy and costly proposals. It is the desire that proposals be prepared in a straightforward and concise manner. Unnecessarily elaborate brochures or other promotional materials beyond those sufficient to present a complete and effective proposal are not desired. The State of Delaware’s interest is in the quality and responsiveness of the proposal.

10. Realistic Proposals It is the expectation of the State of Delaware that vendors can fully satisfy the obligations of the proposal in the manner and timeframe defined within the proposal. Proposals must be realistic and must represent the best estimate of time, materials and other costs including the impact of inflation and any economic or other factors that are reasonably predictable.

The State of Delaware shall bear no responsibility or increase obligation for a vendor’s failure to accurately estimate the costs or resources required to meet the obligations defined in the proposal.

11. Confidentiality of Documents The State of Delaware and its constituent agencies are required to comply with the State of Delaware Freedom of Information Act, 29 Del. C. § 10001, et seq. (“FOIA”). FOIA requires that the State of Delaware’s records are public records (unless otherwise declared by FOIA or other law to be exempt from disclosure) and are subject to inspection and copying by any person upon a written request. All proposals are subject to FOIA’s public disclosure obligations.

The State of Delaware wishes to create a business-friendly environment and procurement process. As such, the State respects the vendor community’s desire to protect its intellectual property, trade secrets, and confidential business information (collectively referred to herein as “confidential business information”). Proposals must contain sufficient information to be evaluated. If a vendor feels that they cannot submit their proposal without including confidential business information, they must adhere to the following procedure, or their proposal may be deemed unresponsive, may not be recommended for selection, and any applicable protection for the vendor’s confidential business information may be lost.

In order to allow the State to assess its ability to protect a vendor’s confidential business information, vendors will be permitted to designate appropriate portions of their proposal as confidential business information.

Vendor(s) may submit portions of a proposal considered to be confidential business information in separate file(s) identified as “Confidential Business Information” and include the specific RFP number. The file must contain a letter from the vendor’s legal counsel describing the documents in the file, representing in good faith that the information in each document is not “public record” as defined by 29 Del. C. § 10002, and briefly stating the reasons that each document meets the said definitions.

Upon receipt of a proposal accompanied by such separate file(s), the State of Delaware will open the file to determine whether the procedure described above has been followed. A vendor’s allegation as to its confidential business information shall not be binding on the State. The State shall independently determine the validity of any vendor designation as set forth in this section. Any vendor submitting a proposal or using the procedures discussed herein expressly accepts the State’s absolute right and duty to independently assess the legal and factual validity of any information designated as confidential business information. Accordingly, vendor(s) assume the risk that confidential business information included in a proposal may enter the public domain.

12. Multi-Vendor Solutions (Joint Ventures) Multi-vendor solutions (joint ventures) will be allowed only if one of the venture partners is designated as the “prime contractor”. The “prime contractor” must be the joint venture’s contact point for the State of Delaware and be responsible for the joint venture’s performance under the contract, including all project management, legal and financial responsibility for the implementation of all vendor systems. If a joint venture is proposed, a copy of the joint venture agreement clearly describing the responsibilities of the partners must be submitted with the proposal. Services specified in the proposal shall not be subcontracted without prior written approval by the State of Delaware, and approval of a request to subcontract shall not in any way relieve Vendor of responsibility for the professional and technical accuracy and adequacy of the work. Further, vendor shall be and remain liable for all damages to the State of Delaware caused by negligent performance or non-performance of work by its subcontractor or its sub-subcontractor.

Multi-vendor proposals must be a consolidated response with all cost included in the cost summary. Where necessary, RFP response pages are to be duplicated for each vendor.

a. Primary Vendor The State of Delaware expects to negotiate and contract with only one “prime vendor”. The State of Delaware will not accept any proposals that reflect an equal teaming arrangement or from vendors who are co-bidding on this RFP. The prime vendor will be responsible for the management of all subcontractors.

Any contract that may result from this RFP shall specify that the prime vendor is solely responsible for fulfillment of any contract with the State as a result of this procurement. The State will make contract payments only to the awarded vendor. Payments to any-subcontractors are the sole responsibility of the prime vendor (awarded vendor).

Nothing in this section shall prohibit the State of Delaware from the full exercise of its options under Section IV.B.18 regarding multiple source contracting.

b. Sub-contracting The vendor selected shall be solely responsible for contractual performance and management of all subcontract relationships. This contract allows subcontracting assignments; however, vendors assume all responsibility for work quality, delivery, installation, maintenance, and any supporting services required by a subcontractor.

Use of subcontractors must be clearly explained in the proposal, and major subcontractors must be identified by name.

The prime vendor shall be wholly responsible for the entire contract performance whether or not subcontractors are used. Any sub-contractors must be approved by State of Delaware.

c. Multiple Proposals A primary vendor may not participate in more than one proposal in any form. Sub-contracting vendors may participate in multiple joint venture proposals.

13. Sub-Contracting The vendor selected shall be solely responsible for contractual performance and management of all subcontract relationships. This contract allows subcontracting assignments; however, vendors assume all responsibility for work quality, delivery, installation, maintenance, and any supporting services required by a subcontractor.

The use of subcontractors will be permitted for this project.

If a subcontractor is going to be used, this needs to be specified in the proposal, with an identification of the proposed subcontractor, the service(s) to be provided, and its qualifications to provide such service(s).

Subcontractors will be held to the same requirements as the primary contractor.

The contract with the primary contractor will bind sub or co-contractors to the primary contractor by the terms, specifications, and standards of the RFP. All such terms, specifications, and standards shall preserve and protect the rights of the agency under the RFP and any subsequent proposals and contracts with respect to the services performed by the sub or co-contractor, so that the sub or co-contractor will not prejudice such rights. Nothing in the RFP shall create any contractual relation between any sub or co-contractor and the agency.

14. Discrepancies and Omissions Vendor is fully responsible for the completeness and accuracy of their proposal, and for examining this RFP and all addenda. Failure to do so will be at the sole risk of vendor. Should vendor find discrepancies, omissions, unclear or ambiguous intent or meaning, or should any questions arise concerning this RFP, vendor shall notify the State of Delaware’s Designated Contact, in writing, of such findings at least ten (10) days before the proposal opening. This will allow issuance of any necessary addenda. It will also help prevent the opening of a defective proposal and exposure of vendor’s proposal upon which award could not be made. All unresolved issues should be addressed in the proposal.

Protests based on any omission or error, or on the content of the solicitation, will be disallowed if these faults have not been brought to the attention of the Designated Contact, in writing, at least ten (10) calendar days prior to the time set for opening of the proposals.

15. RFP Question and Answer Process The State of Delaware will allow written requests for clarification of the RFP.

Questions must be submitted before the due date identified in the Procurement Schedule for this RFP. All inquiries must be submitted in the “Public Q/A” section of the project listing in the Euna Procurement (formerly Bonfire)(https://dhss.bonfirehub.com).

The Department’s response to questions will be posted, according to the procurement schedule, under the project listing in Bonfire and to the State of Delaware Bid Solicitation Directory Website: http://www.bids.delaware.gov/ .

To contact Delaware Health and Social Services or ask questions in relation to this RFP, respondents must register with the Organization’s public purchasing portal at https://dhss.bonfirehub.com (the “Portal”) and initiate the communication electronically through the Opportunity Q&A. Delaware Health and Social Services will not accept any respondent’s communications by any other means, except as specifically stated in this RFP.

16. State’s Right to Reject Proposals The State of Delaware reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals or any part of any proposal, to waive defects, technicalities or any specifications (whether they be in the State of Delaware’s specifications or vendor’s response), to sit and act as sole judge of the merit and qualifications of each product offered, or to solicit new proposals on the same project or on a modified project which may include portions of the originally proposed project as the State of Delaware may deem necessary in the best interest of the State of Delaware.

17. State’s Right to Cancel Solicitation The State of Delaware reserves the right to cancel this solicitation at any time during the procurement process, for any reason or for no reason. The State of Delaware makes no commitments expressed or implied, that this process will result in a business transaction with any vendor.

This RFP does not constitute an offer by the State of Delaware. Vendor’s participation in this process may result in the State of Delaware selecting your organization to engage in further discussions and negotiations toward execution of a contract. The commencement of such negotiations does not, however, signify a commitment by the State of Delaware to execute a contract nor to continue negotiations. The State of Delaware may terminate negotiations at any time and for any reason, or for no reason.

18. State’s Right to Award Multiple Source Contracting Pursuant to 29 Del. C. § 6986, the State of Delaware may award a contract for a particular professional service to two or more vendors if the agency head makes a determination that such an award is in the best interest of the State of Delaware.

19. Potential Contract Overlap Vendors shall be advised that the State, at its sole discretion, shall retain the right to solicit for goods and/or services as required by its agencies and as it serves the best interest of the State. As needs are identified, there may exist instances where contract deliverables, and/or goods or services to be solicited and subsequently awarded, overlap previous awards. The State reserves the right to reject any or all bids in whole or in part, to make partial awards, to award to multiple vendors during the same period, to award by types, on a zone-by-zone basis or on an item-by-item or lump sum basis item by item, or lump sum total, whichever may be most advantageous to the State of Delaware.

20. Supplemental Solicitation The State reserves the right to advertise a supplemental solicitation during the term of the Agreement if deemed in the best interest of the State.

21. Notification of Withdrawal of Proposal Vendor may modify or withdraw its proposal by written request, provided that both proposal and request is received by the State of Delaware prior to the proposal due date. Proposals may be re-submitted in accordance with the proposal due date in order to be considered further.

Proposals become the property of the State of Delaware at the proposal submission deadline. All proposals received are considered firm offers at that time.

22. Revisions to the RFP If it becomes necessary to revise any part of the RFP, an addendum will be posted on the State of Delaware’s website at www.bids.delaware.gov and (https://dhss.bonfirehub.com. The State of Delaware is not bound by any statement related to this RFP made by any State of Delaware employee, contractor or its agents.

23. Exceptions to the RFP Any exceptions to the RFP, or the State of Delaware’s terms and conditions, must be recorded on Attachment 3. Acceptance of exceptions is within the sole discretion of the evaluation committee.

24. Business References Provide at least three (3) business references consisting of current or previous customers of similar scope and value using Attachment 5. Include business name, mailing address, contact name and phone number, number of years doing business with, and type of work performed. Personal references cannot be considered.

25. Award of Contract The final award of a contract is subject to approval by the State of Delaware. The State of Delaware has the sole right to select the successful vendor(s) for award, to reject any proposal as unsatisfactory or non-responsive, to award a contract to other than the lowest priced proposal, to award multiple contracts, or not to award a contract, as a result of this RFP.

Notice in writing to a vendor of the acceptance of its proposal by the State of Delaware and the subsequent full execution of a written contract will constitute a contract, and no vendor will acquire any legal or equitable rights or privileges until the occurrence of both such events.

a. RFP Award Notifications After reviews of the evaluation committee report and its recommendation, and once the contract terms and conditions have been finalized, the State of Delaware will award the contract.

The contract shall be awarded to the vendor whose proposal is most advantageous, taking into consideration the evaluation factors set forth in the RFP.

It should be explicitly noted that the State of Delaware is not obligated to award the contract to the vendor who submits the lowest bid or the vendor who receives the highest total point score, rather the contract will be awarded to the vendor whose proposal is the most advantageous to the State of Delaware. The award is subject to the appropriate State of Delaware approvals.

After a final selection is made, the winning vendor will be invited to negotiate a contract with the State of Delaware; remaining vendors will be notified in writing of their selection status.

26. Cooperatives Vendors, who have been awarded similar contracts through a competitive bidding process with a cooperative, are welcome to submit the cooperative pricing for this solicitation. State of Delaware terms will take precedence.

C. RFP Evaluation Process An evaluation team composed of representatives of the State of Delaware will evaluate proposals on a variety of quantitative criteria. Neither the lowest price nor highest scoring proposal will necessarily be selected.

The State of Delaware reserves full discretion to determine the competence and responsibility, professionally and/or financially, of vendors. Vendors are to provide in a timely manner any and all information that the State of Delaware may deem necessary to decide.

1. Proposal Evaluation Team The Proposal Evaluation Team shall be comprised of representatives of the State of Delaware. The Team shall determine which vendors meet the minimum requirements pursuant to selection criteria of the RFP and procedures established in 29 Del. C. §§ 6981 and 6982. Professional services for this solicitation are considered under 29 Del. C. § 6982(b).