CONTRACT Grant Writing Services #26S-12-0417.pdf

mailto:lconley@esboces.org http://www.empirestatebidsystem.com/

RFP #26S-12-0417

Grant Writing Services

Board of Cooperative Educational Services First Supervisory District of Suffolk County

201 Sunrise Highway Patchogue, New York 11772

The following Notice to Proposers was / will be published in the official newspapers of ESBOCES on April 3, 2025.

Notice to Proposers

The Board of Cooperative Educational Services, First Supervisory District of Suffolk County (in accordance with Section 103 of Article 5A of the General Municipal Law) hereby invites the submission of sealed proposals for the following:

RFP #26S-12-0417: Grant Writing Services

Proposals will be received until 2:00 p.m., April 17, 2025 at the Office of the Board of Cooperative Educational Services, First Supervisory District of Suffolk County, Attn: Purchasing Department, 201 Sunrise Highway, Patchogue, New York 11772, at which time and place all timely proposals will be received. Proposal packages may be obtained at the same office daily from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., except Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays or at www.empirestatebidsystem.com.

The Board of Cooperative Educational Services, First Supervisory District of Suffolk County, reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, or to accept part of any proposals.

By: Maria Dell'Aquila, Clerk

General Terms and Conditions

Invitations to Propose issued by ESBOCES will bind all Successful Vendors to the terms and conditions set forth in these General Terms and Conditions, Specifications and Proposal Forms and such terms and conditions shall be an integral part of each Proposal awarded (“Contract”).

(I) DEFINITIONS

“Contract” - an awarded Proposal comprised of the entire proposal Documentation,

(i) Terms and conditions of the RFP (ii) proposal submitted by Vendor and awarded by ESBOCES and (iii) any terms and conditions negotiated by ESBOCES

“Cost Proposal Form” - the attachment which the Vendor uses to submit a cost proposal

“Eastern Suffolk BOCES” or “ESBOCES” - Board of Cooperative Educational Services, First Supervisory District of Suffolk County

“Notice to Proposers” - a formal statement that, when issued, constitutes an invitation to submit Proposals on the services, materials, and supplies, described in the specifications

“Participant” - any municipality that is currently a school district of ESBOCES and/or any school district or ESBOCES that enters into an agreement to utilize ESBOCES Shared Services

“Proposal” - RFP Documents submitted in response to this request

“RFP” - Request for Proposal- an offer to furnish services, supplies or materials in accordance with the proposed Documents

“RFP Documents” - Proposal Memorandum, Notice to Proposers, General Terms and Conditions, Specifications and Proposal Forms submitted in a Request for Proposal

“RFP Forms” - forms which Vendor completes and includes in proposal as part of the proposed Documents

“Successful Vendor” - Vendor(s) or Proposer(s) to whom an award is made by ESBOCES

“Specification” - description of services, materials, and supplies, and the conditions for their provision

“Vendor” or “Proposer” - any entity (e.g., individual, partnership, organization, institution, agency, municipality, government, company or corporation) submitting an offer in response to this RFP

(II) INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

1. Sealed Proposal Documents for the furnishing and delivering of the services, supplies or materials as required by ESBOCES, and as set forth in the Proposal Documents must be received no later than 2:00 p.m., April 17, 2025, at the ESBOCES Purchasing Office, 201 Sunrise Highway, Patchogue, NY 11772. In the event that ESBOCES Purchasing Office is closed the day of the Proposal Opening, the Proposal(s) will be received at the same time, on the next business day that the ESBOCES Purchasing Office is open.

2. All Proposals must be submitted on and in accordance with the Proposal Documents and provided by

Proposer, in a sealed envelope addressed to ESBOCES Purchasing Department, at 201 Sunrise Highway, Patchogue, NY 11772 on or before the hour and day stated above, and the envelope shall be endorsed on its face with (i) the name of person, firm, or corporation submitting a Proposal, (ii) the Proposal number and name, and (iii) the date of Proposal opening.

3. Each Proposal must be submitted under separate cover and will be considered on its own merits. Each

Proposal must be separate and apply only to this designated Proposal package. Any Proposal offered in combination with another designated Proposal package will not be accepted. Vendors wishing to submit an alternate Proposal must do so as a separate Proposal package to be considered for award.

4. Facsimile, electronic, telephone, or verbal Proposals will not be accepted or considered.

5. Proposals received after the time stated in the Notice to Proposers will not be considered and will be returned to the Proposer unopened. The Proposer assumes the risk of any delay in the mail or in the handling of the mail by ESBOCES employees. The Proposer assumes all responsibility for having the Proposal deposited on time to the Purchasing Department.

6. Each Proposer is requested to carefully read the Proposal Documents as each Proposer will be held to strict compliance with such documents. Failure to fulfill any requirements of the Proposal Documents may result in the Proposal being considered non-responsive.

7. No modifications or additions are to be made to the printed Proposal Documents. In the event the

Proposer deems that modifications are necessary, such modifications must be set forth in writing to ESBOCES in a separate document and submitted with the Proposal Documents to be considered.

However, any modifications or additions submitted may result in the Proposal being considered non-responsive.

8. All information required in the Proposal Documents must be provided by the Proposer to constitute an acceptable Proposal.

9. ESBOCES will interpret the submission of a Proposal to mean that the Proposer is fully informed as to the extent and character of the services, supplies and materials required and that the Proposer can furnish same in complete compliance with the Proposal Documents.

10. No charge will be allowed for federal, state, or municipal sales and excise taxes, from which the political subdivisions are exempt, or for any portion of a gross receipts tax, MTA surcharge or other tax or surcharge which was imposed upon the vendor. All Proposal prices shall be net and shall not include the amount of any such tax. Exemption document, if required, will be furnished on forms provided by the Successful Vendor.

11. All prices must be included on the Cost Proposal Form in the exact format provided by

ESBOCES.

12. Prices, and all required information, except signature of Proposer, should be typewritten for legibility. Illegible or vague Proposals may be rejected. Signatures may be written or electronic.

Printed or typewritten signatures are not acceptable. ESBOCES may confirm electronic signatures with the Bidder.

13. The non-collusive certification must be filled out in its entirety and included with each Proposal as required by ESBOCES. Under penalty of perjury, the Proposer certifies that:

A. The prices in the Proposal have been arrived at by the Proposer independently and have been submitted without collusion with any other vendor of Services, supplies and materials of the type described in the invitation for Proposals

B. The contents of the Proposal have not been communicated by the Proposer, or, to the Proposer’s best knowledge and belief, by any of its employees, or agents, to any person not an employee or agent of the Proposer or its surety on any bond furnished herewith prior to the official opening of the Proposal

14. The forms listed below must be completed and included with each Proposal and all Proposers must sign this General Terms and Conditions portion of the Proposal Documents under the section entitled Section (VIII) “Entire Agreement”.

A. Vendor Acknowledgement and Information Form – Exhibit A B. Vendor Reference Form – Exhibit B C. Non-Collusive Bidding Certification – Exhibit C D. Disclosure Form – Exhibit D E. Affidavit of Compliance – Exhibit E F. Iran Divestment Act Compliance Rider – Exhibit F G. Cost Proposal Form - Attachment A (See Specifications) H. Insurance Documents as required - Attachment B I. Addenda – As Applicable – Attachment C

Please note: Conflict of Interest document and Affirmative Action document must be provided by Vendor as stated in the Specifications, in the section entitled: Vendor Profile and Requirements.

15. No interpretation of the meaning of the Proposal Documents will be made to any Vendor orally. Every request for such interpretation should be in writing, addressed to ESBOCES. Any interpretations issued will be in the form of addendum/addenda to the Proposal Documents. All addendum/addenda so issued shall become a part of the Proposal Documents.

16. The Vendor Proposal Documents should include the Cost Proposal Form as detailed in the

Specifications.

17. The failure to submit a Proposal on the forms provided by ESBOCES may be grounds for Proposal rejection.

18. No “conditional” freight charges will be accepted. All freight charges must be included within

Proposal submission. Fuel charges or surcharges under any name will not be assessed.

19. ESBOCES may make any investigation it deems necessary to determine the ability of the

Proposer to perform the work, and the Proposer shall furnish to the ESBOCES all such information and data for this purpose as ESBOCES may request.

(III) AWARD AND RESERVATION OF RIGHTS

20. The Contract will be awarded to the responsive and responsible Vendor(s) offering the Proposal response that best meets the terms, conditions and Specification criteria stated in the RFP. Such response(s) shall be evaluated by the evaluation committee and the committee shall score each proposal. Unless otherwise provided by the Specifications, the Vendor(s) that score the highest by the evaluation committee may be awarded the Contract. If not awarded, the Proposal will be rejected within ninety (90) days of the date of the opening of the Proposal, subject, however, to the discretionary right reserved by ESBOCES to waive any informalities in, or to reject any or all Proposals and to advertise for new Proposals, if in its opinion, the best interest of ESBOCES will thereby be promoted. Depending on the RFP, there may be more than one Successful Vendor.

21. ESBOCES reserves the right to make awards within ninety (90) days after the date of the Proposal opening.

22. ESBOCES reserves the right (if applicable) to inspect the Proposer’s physical facilities prior to award. If the facility is found to be insufficient for the services specified herein, ESBOCES reserves the right to reject the Proposal.

23. If two (2) or more Proposers submit Proposals which result in an identical evaluation criteria score, the decision of ESBOCES to grant an award to one of such Proposer within its sole discretion shall be final.

24. ESBOCES reserves the right to reject all Proposals. ESBOCES also reserves the right to reject, for cause, any Proposal in whole or in part, and to waive any and/or all non-material defects, qualifications, irregularities, omissions and informalities in, or to reject any and/or all Proposals and to re-advertise for new Proposals, if, in its judgment, the best interests of ESBOCES will be served.

25. ESBOCES reserves the right to reject incomplete Proposals. ESBOCES also reserves the right to request additional data or material from a Proposer at any time. All material submitted in response to this RFP will become the property of ESBOCES upon the opening of this Proposal.

26. ESBOCES reserves the right to reject Proposals that impose conditions that would modify the terms and conditions of the Proposal Documents or limit the Vendor’s liability to ESBOCES on the Contract awarded on the basis of such Proposal.

27. ESBOCES reserves the right to reject any Proposal where investigation and evaluation of the Vendor's qualifications indicate that the Vendor may not promptly and efficiently complete the services as per the Specifications.

28. ESBOCES reserves the right to negotiate the terms of the RFP, including the award amount, with the selected Vendor(s) prior to entering into a Contract. In the event there is no additional contract this RFP, inclusive of any negotiated terms, shall govern.

29. ESBOCES reserves the right to retain all Proposals submitted and to use any ideas in a Proposal regardless of whether that Proposal is selected.

30. Each Proposal will be received with the understanding that the acceptance thereof, in writing, by

ESBOCES to furnish any or all of the Products and/or services described therein shall constitute a Contract between the Successful Vendor and ESBOCES (“Contract”). The Contract shall bind the Successful Vendor to furnish and deliver at the prices and in accordance with the conditions of this Proposal. ESBOCES reserves the right to increase or decrease the Product and/or services in the best interest of ESBOCES.

31. All Proposals, including pricing and with consideration to the appropriate escalation (as defined below in the Specifications entitle “Pricing / Escalation”), will be held firm for the duration of the Contract including any extensions agreed to in writing by the parties.

32. No items are to be shipped or services rendered until receipt of an authorized purchase order from

ESBOCES.

33. The placing in the mail of a notice of award to a Successful Vendor, to the address given in the

Proposal, will be considered sufficient notice of award of Contract and will be considered an acceptance of the Contract by the Successful Vendor.

34. Any addenda sent to the Proposers shall be binding and take precedence over the section of the original

Proposal Document which it replaces.

35. If the Successful Vendor fails to deliver or provide the Services within the time specified, or within reasonable time as interpreted by ESBOCES, or fails to correct Items or services that were provided insufficiently, or fails replace rejected related supplies and/or equipment when so requested, immediately or as directed by ESBOCES, ESBOCES may purchase Items and services from other sources to take the place of the Services or related supplies or equipment rejected, not delivered or not provided in accordance with the RFP Specifications. ESBOCES reserves the right to authorize immediate purchase of the Services from other sources when necessary. On all such purchases, the Successful Vendor agrees to reimburse ESBOCES promptly for excess costs occasioned by such purchases. Should the cost be less, the Successful Vendor shall have no claim to the difference.

36. In the sole discretion of ESBOCES, a proposal may be rejected and the Contract not awarded to a

Vendor whose performance on previous contract with ESBOCES has been determined to be unsatisfactory.

(IV) GUARANTEES BY THE SUCCESSFUL VENDOR

37. The Successful Vendor Guarantees if Applicable:

A. To furnish liability insurance in accordance with the Proposal Documents for protection in the event of damage(s) of any kind for which Successful Vendor or Successful Vendor’s organization is responsible;

B. To carry insurance in accordance with the Proposal Documents to protect ESBOCES from loss in case of accident, fire, theft, etc.;

C. To provide valid insurance documents to Eastern Suffolk BOCES within two (2) weeks of Bid award.

(V) SUCCESSFUL VENDOR INSTRUCTIONS / RESPONSIBILITY

38. By submission of this Bid, each Bidder and each person signing on behalf of any Bidder certifies, and in the case of a joint Bid, each party thereto certifies as to its own organization, under penalty of perjury, that the Bidder has and has implemented a written policy addressing Sexual Harassment prevention in the workplace and provides annual sexual harassment prevention training to all of its employees. Such policy shall, at a minimum, meet the requirements of section 201-g of the New York State Labor Law.

39. Miscellaneous

A. The Successful Vendor must follow the rules and regulations and Board Policies of ESBOCES and/or Participants where services pursuant to the Proposal are being performed.

This includes but is not limited to Vendor employees wearing photo identification cards.

Refer to the following web link for the ESBOCES Board policies:

http://edocsp.ESBOCES.org/. It is the responsibility of the Successful Vendor to obtain and review the rules, regulations, and Board polices for Participants.

B. The Successful Vendor shall be solely responsible for complying with all applicable laws, regulations, etc., for the Services herein. The cost of such compliance shall be borne entirely by Vendor, who shall indemnify, defend, and hold ESBOCES and/or a Participant harmless from any claims, demands or penalties arising from Vendor’s failure to comply with the above.

C. All pricing must be entered on the cost proposal form including shipping and handling.

40. Delivery - See Specifications when applicable

A. Unless otherwise stated in the Specifications, all items must be delivered into and placed at a designated point within the building. The Successful Vendor will be required to furnish proof of delivery in every instance, if applicable

41. Payments

A. Successful Vendor may not submit an invoice prior to the fulfillment of the purchase order or project. Successful Vendor must submit invoice within thirty (30) days of fulfillment of the purchase order. In the event the Successful Vendor does not submit an invoice within such thirty

(30) days, the Successful Vendor may not be considered for future awards and/or ESBOCES may find the Successful Vendor in breach of Contract.

B. Payment shall be made, in US currency, within sixty (60) days following the receipt of a correct, original invoice. When Items/Services are not promptly delivered, the Successful Vendor may request ESBOCES to make a partial payment after more than 50% of the dollar value of the order has been received and invoiced accordingly.

C. Payment will be made only after a correct, original invoice has been received from Successful Vendor. The invoice must reflect Bid pricing as provided in the Cost Proposal Form, i.e.

Cost Proposal Form notes (i) per hour, invoice should break down hourly, or (ii) per unit of measure, invoice should break down unit of measure in the same manner as the Cost Proposal Form. In the event pricing does not match what is provided in the Cost Proposal Form, payment may be held up until such discrepancy is resolved to the satisfaction of ESBOCES Accounts Payable Department.

D. Payment of any invoice shall not preclude ESBOCES from making a claim for adjustment on such invoice where the materials, supplies, equipment and Services (if applicable) provided were not in accordance with the Bid Documents.

E. No charges will be allowed for cases, boxes, bottles, etc., and no charges will be allowed for freight expenses, expressage or cartage. Cases, boxes, bottles, etc. will be removed by the Successful Vendor at no expense to ESBOCES.

42. Termination of Contract

A. ESBOCES reserves the right to terminate the Contract, for any reason, in whole or in part upon fifteen (15) days written notice to the awarded Vendor. If the Contract is so terminated, ESBOCES shall be liable only for payment in accordance with the payment provisions of the Contract for services rendered or materials purchased prior to the effective date of termination. No early termination or other penalties may be charged to ESBOCES because of its decision to exercise this right;

B. In the event the Successful Vendor fails to deliver services or materials as required, or within the time specified, or fails to abide by any of the provisions of this Contract, such failure shall constitute a breach of Contract and may result in termination of the Contract by ESBOCES;

C. In the event of breach, ESBOCES shall provide written notice to the Successful Vendor of such breach. If the Successful Vendor does not cure such breach within ten (10) days after receipt of such notice, ESBOCES reserves the right to terminate said Contract immediately http://edocsp.esboces.org/ thereafter. In the event of such termination, (i) the required services and materials, etc. may be procured from other sources so that the continuity of the operations may be protected, (ii) the said Successful Vendor agrees to reimburse ESBOCES promptly for any excess costs occasioned by such procurement and (iii) the terminated Successful Vendor agrees to reimburse ESBOCES promptly for any additional monetary expenditures occasioned by such procurement. However, should the Successful Vendor cure such breach and perform its obligations during such ten (10) day notice period, the Contract shall continue in full force and effect.

D. In the event ESBOCES agrees, upon Successful Vendor’s request, to rescind a line Item(s) or a particular service(s) under the Contract, due to Successful Vendor’s inability to provide such Item(s)/service(s) or materials, (i) the required services or materials, may be procured from other sources so that the continuity of the operations may be protected, (ii) the Successful Vendor agrees to reimburse ESBOCES promptly for excess costs occasioned by such procurement, (iii) the Successful Vendor agrees to reimburse ESBOCES promptly for any additional monetary expenditures occasioned by such procurement and (iv) Successful Vendor must continue to fulfill all purchase orders in accordance with the Bid Documents for those Items/Services not terminated.

43. Non- Assignment

A. The Successful Vendor will give its personal attention to the faithful performance of this Contract. It will not assign, transfer, convey, sublet, use brokers or otherwise dispose of this Contract, or its right, title or interest in or to the same or any part hereof, and it will not assign by power of attorney or otherwise any of the monies to become due and payable under this Contract, unless by and with the previous written consent of ESBOCES endorsed upon or attached to the assignment filed in said offices.

B. The Successful Vendor may not engage subcontractors, hire others to perform all or part of this Contract, nor otherwise delegate his obligations to perform under this Contract without the prior written approval of ESBOCES. Such subcontractors or others hired to perform shall be bound by the terms of this Contract; and

C. In accordance with New York State General Municipal Law 109, at no time during the duration of any Contract resulting from this Proposal, shall the Successful Vendor be allowed to assign any portion of this Contract to a third party without prior written approval by

ESBOCES.

44. Non-Appropriation

In accordance with the New York State Education Law (§1725, §1725-a, and §1950), and §109-b of the General Municipal Law, all contracts executed as a result of this RFP may include standard language regarding "non-appropriation and cancellation for convenience." In the event that ESBOCES and/or participating component District(s) must terminate a contract for non-appropriation of funds, ESBOCES and/or participating component District(s) agree to pay all outstanding balances, plus earned interest to the date of cancellation. Unearned interest shall not be charged and no other charges including, but not limited to, penalty charges, service charges, or early payment charges may be assessed.

45. Force Majeure

ESBOCES and/or the Successful Vendor shall not be held responsible for any losses resulting if the fulfillment of the terms of the Contract that shall be delayed or prevented by wars, acts of public enemies, strikes, fires, floods, acts of God, epidemics, pandemics, government orders, or any other acts not within the control of ESBOCES and/or the Successful Vendor, and which, by the exercise of reasonable diligence, ESBOCES and/or the Successful Vendor are unable to prevent.

46. Severability

Should any provision of this Contract, for any reason, be judicially declared invalid and/or unenforceable, such declaration shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions, which shall remain in full force and effect as if the Contract had been executed with the invalid provision(s) eliminated.

47. Failure to Enforce

ESBOCES’ failure to enforce at any time, or for any period of time, the provisions of this Contract shall not be construed to be a waiver of such provisions or of the right to enforce each and every provision.

48. Indemnification and Hold Harmless

The Successful Vendor agrees to defend, indemnify and hold harmless ESBOCES and/or Participants, their officers, directors, agents, or employees against all claims, costs, damages and expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and amounts arising from any willful act, error or negligence of the Vendor, its officers, directors, agents or employees in relation to the performance of the Contract.

49. Venue

The Proposal/Contract shall be interpreted in accordance with the substantive and procedural laws and regulations of the State of New York and applicable Federal laws and regulations. Any lawsuit(s) concerning the Proposal/Contract will be brought and adjudicated in Supreme Court, Suffolk County

50. Toxic Substance

The Successful Vendor must supply information on any items which contain any substance that is listed in the latest printed edition of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substance or which has yielded positive evidence of acute or chronic health hazards in human, animal, or other biological testing. Such information shall be sent to ESBOCES and shall be in conformance with New York State Law. Such information shall include:

A. The name or names of the toxic substance including the generic or chemical name;

B. The trade name of the chemical and any other commonly used name, to be hazardous, if known;

C. The level at which exposure to the substance is determined to be hazardous, if known;

D. The acute and chronic effects of exposure at hazardous levels;

E. The symptoms of such effects;

F. The potential for flammability, explosion, and reactivity of such substance;

G. Appropriate emergency treatment;

H. Proper conditions for safe use and exposure to such toxic substance;

I. Procedures for clean-up of leaks and spills of such toxic substance.

Each Successful Vendor furnishing a toxic substance, as defined by Section 875 of New York State Labor Law, to ESBOCES shall provide at least two (2) copies of a safety data sheet (SDS), which shall include for each substance the information outlined in Section 876 of New York State Labor Law. For additional information, Chapter 551 of the Laws of New York, 1980, Article 28 (toxic substances) can be found on pages TS-1 and TS-2.

(VI) TAX LAW CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT

51. Tax Provisions: Purchases made by ESBOCES and/or Participants are not subject to state or local sales taxes or federal excise taxes. To satisfy the requirements of the New York State sales tax, either the purchase order issued by an agency or institution of New York State for supplies or equipment or the voucher forwarded to authorize payment for such supplies and equipment will be sufficient evidence that the sale by a contractor or vendor was made to the State of New York, an exempt organization under Section 1116(a) (1) of the New York State Tax Law.

A. Exemption certificates for federal excise taxes will be furnished upon request;

B. No person, firm, or corporation is, however, exempt from paying the New York State truck mileage and Unemployment Insurance or the federal social security taxes;

C. Effective April 28, 2006, Laws 2004, Chapter 60, Part N Tax Law, Section 5-a, as amended, became effective and applies to contracts resulting from solicitations to purchase products or services issued by covered agencies for contracts valued in excess of $100,000;

D. The law requires that, prior to approval of contracts valued at more than $100,000, vendors certify that they, their affiliates, subcontractors and the affiliates of their subcontractors have a valid certificate of authority to collect New York State and local sales and compensating use taxes if the vendors, affiliates, subcontractors and the affiliates of their subcontractors have made sales delivered by any means to locations within New York State of tangible personal property or taxable services having a cumulative value in excess of $300,000, during the four quarterly periods ending on the last day of February, May, August, and November which immediately preceded the quarterly period in which this certification is made.

Vendors must also certify to the contracting covered agency, at specified intervals during the terms of multi-year contracts and those contracts subject to renewal upon expiration of an initial or renewal term that they, as well as their affiliates and subcontractors making sales delivered within New York State, have a valid certificate of authority to collect New York State and local sales and compensating use taxes;

E. Proposed Vendors to New York State are hereby notified that provisions to meet the statutory requirements will be contained in all Proposal Documents for products and services valued in excess of $100,000. Proposed Vendors will be required to affirm, immediately upon request by the Office of General Services if affirmation is not contained in the Proposal Documents, that proposed Vendors, and to the best of their ability that their affiliates, subcontractors and subcontractors’ affiliates are duly registered with the Tax Department and hold a valid certificate of authority.

The Tax Department is prepared to answer all questions relating to implementation of this law. Please refer to the Tax web site for detailed information: http://www.tax.ny.gov/. The Tax Department may also be reached at 1-518-485-9863 for additional clarification.

(VII) MARKETING CLAUSE

52. A. The Successful Vendor is prohibited from selling or marketing products for any purpose which is prohibited under Federal or New York State Law or the Regulations and decisions of the Commissioner of Education. Any violation of this provision shall be considered a breach of contract and may result in termination of the contract.

B. The Successful Vendor agrees that ESBOCES may periodically review marketing materials distributed by Successful Vendor and/or the Successful Vendor’s website. In the event ESBOCES becomes aware that such marketing materials and/or Successful Vendor’s website contain statements or claims which ESBOCES determines advocate for the use of Successful

Vendor’s products in a manner which would violate or are in violation of Federal law, New

York State Law, or the rules and regulations of the Commissioner of Education, ESBOCES may notify Successful Vendor of such materials and request that they be removed. In the event Successful Vendor refuses or fails to remove such materials after being so notified, ESBOCES may, in its sole discretion, terminate this Contract.

http://www.tax.ny.gov/

(VIII) ENTIRE AGREEMENT

53. This contract is the entire agreement between the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior understandings, writings, proposals, representations, or communications, oral or written, of either party. No additional terms and conditions shall be accepted unless added as addenda by ESBOCES and at the sole discretion of ESBOCES.

All Bidders must sign below to verify that the above has been read and that the terms and conditions of the Bid Documents will be adhered to. In the event Bidder does not sign below, the Bidder may be deemed non-responsive.

Signature

Firm Name

Purchasing Office

Patchogue, New York 11772

Voice: (631) 687-3160 Fax: (631) 289-2327

E-mail: lconley@ESBOCES.org

SPECIFICATIONS

To be received by 2:00 p.m., April 17, 2025

The Board of Cooperative Educational Services, First Supervisory District of Suffolk County, hereinafter referred to as ESBOCES, invites sealed proposals from qualified Vendors hereinafter referred to as Vendor, to provide grant writing services as requested by ESBOCES. ESBOCES intends to assemble a roster of potential service providers who are available to provide such service. ESBOCES and/or Participants’ need for such services may increase or decrease throughout the school year for the service.

The award of this RFP may be subject to a formal written Contract with ESBOCES. In the event there is no additional Contract, this RFP, inclusive of any negotiated term(s) between ESBOCES and the Successful Vendor, shall govern. The Contract will be awarded to the Vendor(s) best meeting the needs of ESBOCES and/or Participants. Note that the lowest-cost Vendor may not be the best suited to meet the needs of ESBOCES and/or Participants.

In accordance with §104b of General Municipal Law and ESBOCES policies and procedures, goods and services such as contracts for professional services, requiring special skill or training, are not required by law to be procured through competitive bidding, but must be procured under terms which are fair and reasonable and in a manner so as to assure the prudent and economical use of public monies.

(I) PURPOSE

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (“RFP”) is to solicit proposals from qualified Vendors to provide grant writing services for ESBOCES and/or Participants. The Successful Vendor must be willing to tailor services to meet the specific needs of ESBOCES and/or Participants, with diverse operations and missions.

(II) DEFINITIONS

The following definitions are used throughout the Specifications of this RFP: None.

(III) CONTRACT TERM

The Contract, once awarded, shall be in effect from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 (“initial term”) with an option to renew for four (4) additional years in one-year increments, including leap years, at the discretion of ESBOCES, not to exceed the prices indicated in the Vendor’s RFP submission.

(IV) ESCALATION

In the event ESBOCES exercises its right to extend this Contract, the Successful Vendor may increase prices effective upon the start of a Renewal Term by an amount equal to the current percentage published by the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Northeast Region consumer price index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U) – May, which is usually published in June of each year, not to exceed 2% if the CPI is under 5%. If the CPI is 5% or higher, the Successful Vendor mailto:lconley@esboces.org may increase their prices up to 4%. In the event the percent increase creates a number containing more than two digits beyond the decimal point, the resulting increase will be rounded to the nearest cent.

ESBOCES must be notified in writing by the Successful Vendor of any request for a price increase at least sixty (60) days before the Renewal Term.

(V) REQUESTS FOR CLARIFICATION / ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

All requests for clarification or additional information related to this RFP must be submitted in writing by mail, fax, or e-mail on or before 4:00 p.m., April 10, 2025 to:

Ms. Laurie Conley, CPPB Purchasing Administrator Board of Cooperative Educational Services First Supervisory District of Suffolk County 201 Sunrise Highway Patchogue, NY 11772 E-Mail: purchasing@esboces.org

In the event ESBOCES provides clarification or supplemental information to this RFP, all recipients of this RFP will receive the information via an addendum to this RFP which shall be posted on the following website: www.empirestatebidsystem.com. All addenda so issued shall be signed by each Proposer and returned with the RFP submission.

(VI) VENDOR PROFILE AND REQUIREMENTS

The following represents the general requirements of this RFP:

A. The Vendor must provide documentary evidence of grant writing services qualifications. In setting forth its qualifications, each Vendor shall, in concise but adequate detail:

1. Provide documentary evidence that the Vendor is an established provider of grant writing services, having conducted business as such for at least five (5) years as well as a brief description of its business activities and history.

2. Provide documentary evidence of the Vendor’s ability and experience of delivering projects on time and on budget.

3. Provide the names of the Vendor’s officers and associates and the title of person(s) submitting the Proposal, the main office address, and primary and secondary points of contact and their telephone, cell/mobile and fax numbers (including area codes).

4. Detail the approach the Vendor will use to satisfy the requirements of this Request for Proposal.

5. Describe how needs specific to the public sector, were met. Highlight any experience specific to BOCES and/or Participants.

6. Provide information on the circumstances and status of any disciplinary action taken or pending against the Vendor during the past three (3) years with federal or state regulatory bodies or professional organizations.

7. Provide any additional information that the Vendor feels would distinguish the company/firm in its service to ESBOCES and/or Participants.

B. References – The Vendor must list the most significant service engagements in the form of a reference list, performed in the last three (3) years that are similar to the services described in this RFP. Indicate the scope of services, date, and the contact name, address, and telephone number of the principal contact. ESBOCES may contact the Vendor’s clients to determine the quality of services performed and personnel assigned to those services.

C. Team Composition – The Vendor must identify the composition of the proposed team which will perform the services (“Team”). The Vendor must also describe the experience of the individuals that will be assigned to ESBOCES and/or Participants including their position level and role in the services to be provided and licenses obtained. The Vendor must also mailto:purchasing@esboces.org indicate whether the persons assigned to ESBOCES are current employees of the firm or are proposed to be hired as subcontractors subject to the prior written approval of ESBOCES.

ESBOCES reserves the right to reject any of the Successful Vendor’s staff, which ESBOCES, as its sole discretion, may deem unqualified. The Successful Vendor must respond to an onsite visit request within two days. The Vendor must also inform ESBOCES if it has an office in Nassau or Suffolk County with the RFP submission and the office location from which the Team will work.

D. All quotes and invoicing generated from an award of this RFP must reflect pricing as indicated on the Cost Proposal Form.

E. Conflict of Interest and Independence – The Vendor must disclose all conflicts of interest both in fact and/or in appearance. In addition, the Vendor shall give ESBOCES written notice of any professional relationships giving rise to potential conflicts of interest entered into during the period of the contract. The Vendor must also indicate, in writing, if there is no conflict of interest.

F. Affirmative Action - The Vendor must provide its most current Affirmative Action Policy

(VII) SCOPE OF SERVICES

VII (a) Summary:

Eastern Suffolk BOCES and Participants (component school districts), are interested in finding, identifying, applying for, and receiving Federal, State, nonprofit, foundation, corporate, and private grants that will benefit Long Island’s life-long learners. Please visit Eastern Suffolk BOCES website at http://www.esboces.org to view the various functions the agency provides. Please see attached ESBOCES At a Glance for a brief overview of ESBOCES or go to the following link:

https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1697027715/esbocesorg/pbbpctu8vguunv7qcrlv/AtaGlanceBr ochure2324FINAL.pdf, see attached Grants Summary 2023-24 to provide interested Vendors with an idea of ESBOCES Specially Aided Programs;

VII (b) Required Services:

A. As stated above, Eastern Suffolk BOCES will assemble a roster of potential service providers who are available to provide grant-writing services including, but not limited to, the categories below.

Eastern Suffolk BOCES reserves the right to determine the category. Below is a list of categories for grant applications including, but not limited to, the following topics (other potential topics maybe added throughout the school year):

1. Categories:

a. Adult Education

b. Bilingual Education

c. Business Education Partnerships

d. Career Education

e. Consolidated Applications

f. Data Services

g. Emerging Technologies

h. Employment Preparation

i. Energy Management

j. Environmental Education

k. Governance Workshops

l. Grant Searching & Development

m. Health & Drug Education

n. Health and Safety – equipment, preparedness, and training

o. Homeless Education

p. IDEA

q. Information Systems & Technology – upgrades, enhancements, education, outreach http://www.esboces.org/ https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1697027715/esbocesorg/pbbpctu8vguunv7qcrlv/AtaGlanceBrochure2324FINAL.pdf https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1697027715/esbocesorg/pbbpctu8vguunv7qcrlv/AtaGlanceBrochure2324FINAL.pdf

r. Infrastructure Improvement – facilities, buildings, and school transportation services

s. Instructional Technology

t. Law Enforcement & Security

u. Literacy Programs

v. Math

w. Member-Item Grants

x. Migrant Education

y. Multi-cultural (Diversity) Mentoring

z. NCLB

aa. Professional Development

bb. School Improvement Initiatives

cc. School Library Systems & Services

dd. School Reform

ee. Science

ff. Security

gg. Social Studies

hh. Special Education

ii. Student Assistance

jj. Students with Disabilities

kk. Technical Education

ll. Others as needed

B. The Successful Vendor(s) shall work with the Eastern Suffolk BOCES and/or its component school districts to develop a profile and an understanding about the types of funding resources that will best meet the needs of the Eastern Suffolk BOCES and its component school districts.

The Successful Vendor(s) will:

1. Assist the Eastern Suffolk BOCES and/or its component school districts in developing partnerships, a programmatic approach, and an evaluation design to respond to the funding application.

2. Develop and submit the application and collaborate with federal, state, and other funding agencies during the development process.

3. Include grant funding for their own services and/or its component school districts, where applicable (evaluation, facilitation, program planning, budget development, staff training, and consultation).

4. Respond to requests for clarification regarding eligibility, allowable activities, and budgetary allocations.

5. Under Eastern Suffolk BOCES leadership and/or Participants, provide on-site training to personnel to write grants to funding agencies with specific grant applications or letters of inquiry in mind.

6. Under Eastern Suffolk BOCES leadership and/or Participants, provide a grant-review service for personnel that will include a read over with suggestions for improvement in both format and content.

7. Under Eastern Suffolk BOCES leadership and/or Participants, provide technical assistance in electronic grant submissions.

8. Synchronize proposal development and ensure delivery of grant proposals by deadline.

9. Meet with the Eastern Suffolk BOCES and/or Participants personnel to develop a program design based upon individual needs, collection of data, development of a budget, and providing resumes and letters of support and cooperation from relevant agencies and individuals.

10. Grant searching and development seeking RFP’s and funding opportunities that match the agency and regional needs.

C. Application Deadlines If Eastern Suffolk BOCES and/or its component school districts do not comply with the application and filing deadlines imposed by grantors, it will not be eligible for grant funds, and therefore, the Eastern Suffolk BOCES and/or its component school districts will be disadvantaged. Failure by the Vendor to provide any required deliverable in accordance with the time schedule in the task assignment shall be considered a material breach of Contract and the Eastern Suffolk BOCES and/or its component school districts shall not be obligated to pay the Vendor for any service associated with that task assignment.

D. Report Requirements

Each awarded Vendor shall provide a report to Eastern Suffolk BOCES on July 10th of each fiscal year ending June 30th, a written status of all ongoing grant projects that have been initiated, are in process, or have been completed since the last report. The written report may be a narrative Word® document or a spreadsheet with appropriate annotations and descriptions.

(VIII) COST PROPOSAL / PRICING REQUIREMENT

Each Vendor must submit the proposed cost on the Cost Proposal Form – Attachment A. The cost shall contain all pricing information relative to providing the Services as described in this Request Proposal.

No additional costs will be allowed for direct or indirect costs including any out-of-pocket expenses, set-up fees (if any), payment terms, travel expenses, participant materials, and any other incidentals.

ESBOCES shall not be responsible for expenses incurred in preparing and submitting the Proposal. Such costs shall not be included in the Proposal. Proposal prices must be all inclusive of shipping, handling and delivery, where applicable.

(IX) RFP SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Vendors must submit an original Proposal (identified as such) and six (6) copies in a sealed envelope and must indicate the following information on the outside of the package:

A. Vendor’s name and address B. RFP number and title C. RFP due date

Vendors must submit the Proposal by the date and time indicated in the Notice to Proposers to:

Attention: Purchasing Office

There is no expressed or implied obligation for ESBOCES to reimburse Vendors for any expenses incurred in responding to this RFP, including, but not limited to preparing Proposals, attending a pre-proposal conference, or interview(s).

Submission of a Proposal indicates acceptance by the Vendor of the terms and conditions contained in this RFP.

(X) RFP ORGANIZATION AND FORMAT

The Proposal must be submitted in three sections. In SECTION ONE the Vendor must provide the information requested immediately below. In SECTION TWO the Vendor must provide (i) the information requested in the Section entitled “Vendor Requirements” and (ii) any requirements set forth in the Section entitled “Scope of Services” in the order requested. In SECTION THREE the Vendor must provide the total cost of the services in the Cost Proposal Form - Attachment A.

The Vendor must provide information in a manner that allows for ease of photocopying.

Proposals shall not be excessively long or submitted in an elaborate format that includes expensive binders or graphics. Unnecessary attachments beyond those sufficient to present a complete, comprehensive, and effective response will not influence the evaluation of the Proposal.

Proposals shall be in plain typeface and submitted on 8.5 by 11-inch paper.

The Vendor is required to organize the Proposal in the following manner:

SECTION ONE:

A. Title Page – Indicate that the document is a Grant Writing Services, RFP #26S-12-0417 and include the following:

1. Date

2. Vendor name

3. Main address

4. Local address

5. Telephone number

6. Fax number

7. E-mail

8. Contact person

B. Table of Contents C. Letter of Transmittal – the Letter of Transmittal shall include the following:

1. A brief certification that the Vendor has read and understood the Grant Writing Services required pursuant to this RFP within the time period and in accordance with RFP Specifications

2. A statement with respect to why the Vendor believes it is the best qualified to perform the services

3. A statement that the Proposal is a firm and irrevocable offer D. Vendor Acknowledgement and Information Form – Exhibit A

E. Vendor Reference Form – Exhibit B F. Non Collusive Bidding Certification – Exhibit C G. Disclosure Form – Exhibit D H. Affidavit of Compliance – Exhibit E I. Iran Divestment Act Compliance Rider – Exhibit F J. Signed Entire Agreement, found on page 12 of General Terms & Conditions K. Insurance Requirements – Attachment B L. Addenda – As Applicable – Attachment C

SECTION TWO:

1. Vendor Profile and Requirements in the order the information was requested.

2. Requirements as set forth in the Scope of Services.

SECTION THREE:

Cost Proposal Form – Attachment A.

(XI) PROPOSAL SCORING AND EVALUATION

ESBOCES will form a committee to evaluate the proposals using the following criteria:

Description Points

1) Documented experience for each category in successfully obtaining grants for local governments and ability to use electronic methods of communication RFP.

2) Knowledge of grant processes, policies and procedures. 20

3) Experience in successfully dealing with potential grantors and grantees. 15

4) Innovative grant application features and use of these features by current and past clients.

5) Responsiveness and completeness of the written proposal to these instructions with regard to Scope of Services and qualifications.

6) Cost 10

7) References 15

The committee may request clarification based on the Vendor’s response. A Vendor must score 80% or higher to be considered for award. Points for cost will be assigned on the basis of ratio from low to high, meaning the Vendor with the lowest cost will be assigned the highest point value; second lowest cost will be assigned a point value in descending order in relation to how many RFP submissions are received.

(XII) CONFLICTING TERMS

If any terms contained within the General Terms and Conditions conflict with these Specifications, these Specifications shall govern.

(XIII) USAGE REPORTS

The Successful Vendor must provide usage reports detailing services provided to ESBOCES and its Participants during the Contract on forms supplied by ESBOCES. Usage reports shall include the following information:

A. Total Dollar Value for all services provided from this RFP.

Usage reports are a requirement of accepting an Award from this RFP. ESBOCES will provide a spreadsheet for the Successful Vendor to complete to submit their usage, in accordance with Bid…