DISC 1264 Developmental Writing Technology Seminar for Pre-College Program FINAL (1).pdf

DISC 1264 Developmental Writing/Technology Seminar for Pre-College Program

Title: Discretionary Opportunity Announcement (DISC) 1264 Developmental Writing/Technology Seminar for Pre-College Program

Agency: Children & Family Services, NYS Office of Bureau of Contract Management

Contract term: 5/1/2027 – 4/30/2032 (Anticipated)

Date of issue: 9/28/2026

Due date/time: 10/27/2026 by 4:00 PM Eastern Time

Location: Manhattanville University

Counties: Statewide

Background

The New York State Office of Children & Family Services (OCFS) announces a Discretionary Opportunity Announcement (DISC) for qualified organizations that provide web-based technology training and specialized developmental writing seminar (course) for high school students who are blind and are attending the Pre-College Program.

The Pre-College Program is for students who are legally blind and entering their senior year of high school. The Pre-College Program is designed to prepare participants for college life and emphasizes independence and self-advocacy in a supportive but structured environment. This program assists participants in refining their academic, social, and independent living skills before commencing their full-time college studies, through a four (4) week on-campus experience. All participants reside in student dormitories on a college campus, and all Pre-College Program participants are required to take two courses: (1) a non-credit course entitled “Introduction to College Life,” taught by the University, and (2) a non-credit course entitled “Developmental Writing/Technology Seminar.”

Please see the Eligibility Criteria section for additional information.

This advertisement is a public notice that OCFS seeks to contract with an organization to offer a specialized developmental writing course that includes web-based distance technology training for high school students who are blind and are attending the Pre- College Program. The proposed course must incorporate instruction on the use of both assistive technologies for legally blind individuals, and mainstream technologies, as they are applied to a traditional college writing course. Students must receive individual and group writing instruction remotely, as they are guided in the use of the tools of the online learning environment, such as the use of an IOS access device (i.e., iPad), the electronic course management system, web conferencing, and discussion forums.

Please see the Scope of Work section for additional information.

OCFS intends to select one organization based on the criteria outlined in this announcement.

The purpose of this solicitation is to invite any eligible and interested organizations that believe they can satisfy this program’s needs to inform OCFS by a Letter of Interest (LOI).

To be considered responsive, your organization’s LOI should be received no later than the deadline specified on the first page of this announcement. Please see the How to Respond section for additional information and submission requirements.

This opportunity is authorized under Section 163 of State Finance Law as a discretionary purchase. OCFS intends to contract pursuant to its discretionary purchasing authority under State Finance Law Section 163(6), which authorizes purchases without a formal competitive process in certain circumstances. This funding opportunity is limited to purchases up to the discretionary buying threshold from respondent organizations qualified as:

• NYS certified Minority-and/or Women-owned Business Enterprise (MWBE)

• NYS certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOB)

• NYS Small Business Enterprise (SBE)

NYS-certified MWBE and SDVOB are qualified pursuant to Article 15-A of State Executive Law and Article 3 of Veterans’ Services Law. In accordance with Section 160(8) of State Finance Law and Article 4-B of Economic Development Law, a NYS small business is resident in New York State, independently owned and operated, not dominant in its field, and employs 100 or less persons.

Primary respondents that are certified and/or qualify as a small business, MWBE or SDVOB should complete, sign, and submit the Attachment 3 – Affirmation of Business Status provided with this solicitation.

Scope of Work

The Funded organization will:

Provide the non-credit course “Developmental Writing/Technology Seminar.” This course will be a web-based technology training and developmental writing course to legally blind participants enrolled in the NYSCB Pre-College Program at the Manhattanville University campus in Purchase, NY.

The following summarizes the services sought for this project.

A. Curriculum Development/updating, Train-the-Trainers, and One-on-One with

Trainers

Curriculum development/updating includes development of all aspects of the technology training and developmental writing course, including designing the curriculum, preparing the lesson plans, and creating the evaluation instruments. The curriculum which is developed must be updated periodically and kept current for the life of the contract. In addition, the funded organization must Train the Trainers. The Pre-College Program or NYSCB will provide a list of trainers that have a background in Assistive Technology https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/STF/163 https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/EXC/A15-A https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/EXC/A15-A https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/VET/A3 https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/STF/160 https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/STF/160 https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/COM/A4-B training to the funded organization. The trainers are responsible for working with the participants for purposes of initial configuration of the participant’s iPad software. The trainers do not provide instruction to the actual content of the technology training and developmental writing course.

The scope of the Train the Trainers’ training will focus on initial configuration of adaptive equipment/software and how it will interact with the funded organization’s web-based technology training and developmental writing course. The Train the Trainers’ training shall be provided by the funded organization before the actual Pre-College Program and within the monthly timeframes below.

The course proposed by the funded organization should provide the following deliverables according to the specified timeframes below:

February - March activities

• Accessibility testing with apps to make sure that all current and potential apps are accessible and compatible with speech output software

• Review and revise curriculum, suggest new content and/or instructional methods and recommend potential apps

• Identify and train new staff (Pre-College Program staff and NYSCB staff associated with the Pre-College Program)

April - May activities

• Update the trainers guide with new processes, including screenshots and step-by-step instructions

• Schedule and conduct train the trainer sessions

• Compile updated articles that cover the dos and don’ts for safety online

• Update/add to quiz questions and assignments

June activities

• Create and verify participant accounts across the apps

• Schedule and conduct one (1) on one (1) demonstration sessions with trainers and participants

• Review the participants submitted writing samples and divide participants into groups for program facilitation

Note: Any travel costs associated with this deliverable entitled “1) Curriculum Development/updating, Train the Trainer and One (1) on One (1) with the Trainers” must be included in the cost proposed for this deliverable within the Cost Form.

B. Participant Administration and Program Delivery

The proposed course shall focus on internet skills and tools, as well as organizational strategies to prepare for class. Further, the proposed course shall simulate a college level online course emphasizing individual as well as collaborative learning. The instructional topics should include self-advocacy (how to advocate for oneself when the material is not accessible), academic skills such as researching, navigating college on-line libraries, using college “blackboards” and accessing class notes, communicating with professors/classmates through blogs and chat rooms, and “how to” sessions that cover how to create favorite lists, blogs, good web sites that are accessible, etc. The writing portion of the course is designed specifically to assess and remediate the writing skills of NYSCB participants who are applying to college. Participants shall also participate in a number of skill building writing exercises.

The classes shall be taught live, via distance learning using fully accessible teleconferencing systems and web-based materials. The classes shall be offered two

(2) times per week for 1 ½ hours each, for 4 weeks, totaling 8 lessons for each participant over the 4-week period. The participants will be required to complete one (1) hour of independent, follow-up computer research or homework each week. The instructor will break the program participants into groups, and each group will participate in two 1 ½ hour classes a week. In addition to the instruction time, the instructor(s) will review and grade writing assignments and provide feedback to Pre-College Program staff and participants.

Up to 30 participants will participate in the proposed course each year, as referred by the Commission. The level of actual participation will be dictated by programmatic need and consumer choice.

Other features of the proposed course that must be included are:

Accessibility

• Developed expressly to work with assistive technologies.

• Eliminate physical, geographic and other barriers to access.

Interactive & Interpersonal

• Live weekly discussions to enhance group development and motivation.

• Participants gain confidence as they acquire new skills.

• Instructors, mentors, and program alumni share their challenges and achievements with each group, enabling participants to identify and envision their personal goals.

Skill-Based Learning

• Specific instruction (one-to-one or small group) regarding the selection and use of popular web applications with assistive technologies allowing students to get online in less time and with less frustration.

• Challenging new skills are practiced and students receive individualized, constructive feedback.

• Methods of instruction and technologies used in the classes should be selected based on accessibility, recognized best practices in education, and recommendations from experts and/or demonstrated effectiveness in the online learning setting.

NYSCB will be responsible for providing the students with all equipment required for them to attend and complete this course.

C. Evaluations/post-program Assessments and Reports

Each participant shall be required to submit individual writing and peer-review assignments, with one group writing assignment due to the course instructor(s) at the end of the program. The course instructor(s) will score the individual assignments and the final assignment and provide a final report/evaluation summarizing the participant activities and scoring information to the NYSCB

Coordinator of Children’s and Transition and the NYSCB counselors working with the participant, in a format acceptable to NYSCB and within 60 days after the end date of each annual program.

Applicants may not subcontract any component of the scope of work.

Eligibility Criteria

Interested parties who meet the following criteria are eligible to respond:

• Agree to provide the services outlined in the Scope of Work section.

• Licensed to do business in the state of New York or agree to become licensed in the state of New York if selected for award.

• Be a NYS Certified MWBE, SDVOB, and/or SBE.

• Submit a completed Budget Template/Cost Proposal (Attachment 4) which proposes a cost for each of the following three (3) deliverables, for each year of the five (5) years of the contract:

1. Curriculum development/updating, Train the Trainer and One-on-One with trainers

2. Participant Administration and Program Delivery

3. Evaluations/post-program Assessments and Reports

• A detailed resume must be provided for the applicant’s proposed program supervisor.

It must demonstrate that the proposed program supervisor has a minimum of four (4) years of experience teaching developmental writing courses in a distance learning format, including accessible content management systems, developing and facilitating coursework for legally blind college students.

• The applicant’s proposed program supervisor must have a master’s degree in education.

Note: the proposed costs for the deliverables above combined cannot exceed $350,000 for the entire five-year term of the contract.

Should any alternative activities/work, extraneous terms, added conditions, qualifications or exceptions be submitted within the Letter of Interest, such proposed alternate activities/work, extraneous terms, added conditions, qualifications or exceptions will not be reviewed or considered by the OCFS/NYSCB.

Funding Details

NYSCB intends to award one (1) fee-based contract to provide the services outlined herein totaling no greater than $350,000 for the five-year term of the contract.

Funding for this project may be subject to change and is contingent upon the availability of funds in the state and/or federal budgets and the number of interested and eligible parties that respond to this solicitation.

The funded organization will be paid based on the original costs proposed and upon completion of the following three (3) deliverables:

1. Curriculum development/updating, Train the Trainer and One (1) on One (1) with Trainers

2. Participant Administration and Program Delivery

3. Evaluations/post-program Assessments and Reports

No later than 60 days after the conclusion of each program, the funded organization must submit a final report summarizing the student activities and scoring information to the NYSCB Children’s Program Coordinator in a format acceptable to NYSCB.

The funded organization may not request nor accept payments from any NYSCB participant or other individual or entity for any services provided under the contract resulting from this announcement.

Term of Contract

Contract(s) awarded in response to this solicitation are anticipated to be for up to five years. The anticipated start date is 5/1/2027, and the anticipated end date is 4/30/2032.

Funding is anticipated to be available for the first year of the contract. The award of a contract does not guarantee funding will be available for subsequent years. Contractors may not begin providing services before the contract start date; OCFS has no obligation to pay for services rendered before the New York State Office of the State Comptroller and the Office of the Attorney General approve the contract.

How to Respond

To be considered responsive, interested parties should complete and submit all required documents in conformance with the format and content requirements as explained in this document. A response that does not provide all the information requested may be subject to rejection. The response should contain sufficient information to assure OCFS of its accuracy. The information provided should, wherever possible, verify your organization meets the requirements in the Eligibility Criteria section of this solicitation.

Responses must be emailed to funding@ocfs.ny.gov and should be received by the due date and time specified on the first page of this announcement.

Interested parties should complete and provide the following documents:

• Attachment 1 – Letter of Interest

• Attachment 2 – Submission Checklist

• Attachment 3 – Affirmation of Business Status

• Attachment 4 – Cost Proposal

• Resume (must contain information requested above in the Eligibility Criteria section)

• A copy of the proposed Program Supervisor’s master’s degree in education

Additionally, the following documents should also be completed and provided in the bid, otherwise they may be required to be completed and submitted later in the process:

mailto:funding@ocfs.ny.gov

• NYS Required Forms o Non-Collusive Bidding Certification o NYS Required Certifications Identifying Data o Offerer’s Certification of Adherence to Executive Order 177 o Offerer’s Certification of Adherence to New York State Finance Law o Sexual Harassment Prevention Certification Form o Freedom Of Information Law Redaction Request o Offerer’s Certification of Adherence to Executive Order No. 16 o Offerer Assurance of No Conflict of Interest or Detrimental Effect o Gender-Based Violence and the Workplace Certification

• Vendor Responsibility Questionnaire (or proof of online VendRep certification)

• OCFS-3460, MWBE Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Statement Form

• OCFS-4821, CMS User Authorization

OCFS reserves the right to require the provision of these forms prior to making an award.

Failure to provide required forms may result in your response being disqualified from consideration. If requested, forms should be provided to OCFS within 5 business days.

The subject line of the email submission of your response should include the following information: DISC 1264 Developmental Writing/Technology Seminar for Pre-College Program. Additionally, please clearly identify the vendor’s name in the body of the email and in the file names of attached documents to ensure your submission is processed efficiently. Early submissions are encouraged, as late responses may be subject to rejection.

Please limit your Letter of Interest to a maximum of 10 page(s), Arial 12-point font, single line spacing and one-inch margins. Attachment 1 – Letter of Interest is provided for your reference.

Email delivery or read receipts are recommended. OCFS will provide a confirmation email that the submission has been received. Bidders are responsible for contacting OCFS prior to the deadline if confirmation has not been received. OCFS will not be liable for any costs incurred by interested parties in the preparation of documents submitted in response to this solicitation. Vendors may modify or withdraw, in writing, the content of any submission at any time prior to the due date and time specified on page one of this announcement.

Questions

Questions should be submitted via email to funding@ocfs.ny.gov prior to the due date and time specified on the first page of this announcement. The subject line should include the following information: DISC 1264 Developmental Writing/Technology Seminar for Pre-College Program. Please submit your question(s) with adequate time for response.

OCFS recommends allowing at least five business days. Late questions may not be addressed.

Under the requirement of the Procurement Lobbying Act, all communications regarding advertised projects are to be channeled only through the primary contact identified herein.

https://ocfs.ny.gov/forms/nys/NYS-Required-Forms.pdf https://ocfs.ny.gov/forms/nys/NYS-Required-Forms.pdf https://www.osc.state.ny.us/state-vendors/vendrep/vendor-responsibility-forms https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/Forms/Contracts/OCFS-3460.docx https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/Forms/Contracts/OCFS-3460.docx https://ocfs.ny.gov/forms/omtv/OCFS-4821.docx mailto:funding@ocfs.ny.gov

Evaluation Process

An internal review by OCFS will confirm eligibility. This solicitation is not a guarantee or promise of funding. Available funding to support this initiative will be limited to the amount(s) appropriated in the enacted budget for this purpose and will be awarded to those interested organizations who are deemed to meet the eligibility requirements and are determined by OCFS to be suited for the program.

OCFS may require additional information from an organization before deciding whether the interested organization is eligible and can supply the requested commodities or services. If OCFS requests additional information, it must be provided within five business days from request or as otherwise directed in the request.

Upon determination of eligibility, OCFS will notify eligible organizations of their status and the proposed award amount (if any). OCFS will also request a work plan and budget with justifications in addition to other completed documents necessary to develop contracts.

Awards are contingent upon vendors maintaining and certifying a Vendor Responsibility Questionnaire through the New York State VendRep System. Vendors must be found responsible and cannot be listed on the OGS non-responsible entities list or DOL database of debarred entities. Vendors must provide their New York State vendor identification number when enrolling. To request a vendor identification number or for direct VendRep System user assistance, contact the OSC Help Desk at 866-370-4672 or 518-408-4672, or by email at itservicedesk@osc.ny.gov.

OCFS Reserved Rights

OCFS reserves the right to withdraw, amend, or postpone this solicitation, without notice and without liability, to any applicant or other party, and may exercise these rights at any time. In addition, OCFS reserves the right to:

• place a monetary cap on the funding amount made in each contract award;

• change any of the schedule dates stated in the solicitation;

• make an award under this solicitation in whole or in part;

• disqualify any applicant whose conduct and/or response fails to conform to the requirements of this solicitation;

• reject any response if, in the sole discretion of OCFS, it determines the applicant is not a responsible vendor;

• request all applicants who submitted responses to present supplemental information clarifying their proposals either in writing or by formal presentation;

• direct all organizations who submitted responses to prepare modifications addressing solicitation amendments;

• make funding decisions that address and maximize compliance with the outcomes identified in this solicitation;

• fund only one portion, or selected activities, of the selected applicant’s response and/or adopt all or part of the selected applicant’s response based on federal and state requirements;

• eliminate any solicitation requirements unmet by all applicants, upon notice to all https://www.osc.ny.gov/state-vendors/vendrep/vendrep-system https://www.osc.ny.gov/state-vendors/vendrep/vendrep-system https://ogs.ny.gov/debarred-and-non-responsible-entities https://apps.labor.ny.gov/EDList/searchPage.do https://apps.labor.ny.gov/EDList/searchPage.do mailto:itservicedesk@osc.ny.gov parties that submitted responses;

• waive procedural technicalities, or modify minor irregularities, in responses received, after notification to the applicant involved;

• correct any arithmetic errors in any proposal, or make typographical corrections to responses, with the concurrence of the applicant;

• negotiate with the eligible applicant(s) prior to contract award;

• require that all responses be held valid for a minimum of 365 days from the closing date for receipt of applications, unless otherwise expressly provided for in writing;

• fund any or all of the responses received in response to this solicitation. However, issuance of this solicitation does not commit OCFS to fund any proposals. OCFS can reject any proposals submitted;

• use the responses submitted in response to this solicitation as part of an approved contract. At the time of contract development, awardees may be asked to provide additional budget and program information for the final contract;

• utilize any and all ideas submitted in the responses received where an award is ultimately made;

• make inquiries of third parties, including but not limited to applicant’s references, regarding the applicant’s experience or other matters deemed relevant by OCFS. By submitting a response to this solicitation, the applicant gives its consent to any inquiry made by OCFS; and

• where applicable, require contractors to participate in a formal evaluation of the program to be developed by OCFS. Contractors may be required to collect data for these purposes. The evaluation design will maintain participants’ confidentiality and recognize practical constraints of collecting this kind of information; and

• when applicable, consider statewide distribution and regional distribution within New York City, including borough distribution methodology, in evaluating proposals; and

• reject any extraneous terms, alternate activities/work to be performed, added conditions, or exceptions stated by applicants within their response. This includes, but is not limited to, proposed changes to the standard terms and conditions of the resulting contract(s).

Contract Documents

By submitting a response to this solicitation, the respondent agrees with all terms and conditions of the State of New York Contract for Grants Standard Terms and Conditions and/or Standard Clauses for all OCFS Contracts. Please review the sample contract templates provided here: https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/contracts/samples.php.

The contract documents consist of the following:

1. Face Page

2. Signatory Page

3. OCFS Agreement

4. Appendix A: Standard Clauses for NYS Contracts

5. Appendix A-1: Standard Clauses for all OCFS Contracts

6. Appendix A-2: Program-Specific Clauses

7. Appendix A-3: Federal Assurances and Certifications & Federal Fund Vendor

Determination (when applicable) https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/contracts/samples.php

8. Appendix B: Budget

9. Appendix C: Payment and Reporting Terms and Conditions

10. Appendix D: Work Plan

11. Appendix HIPPA (when applicable)

12. Appendix MWBE Minority- and Women-owned Business Enterprises

13. Appendix E: Notice of Grant Award, if federally funded

14. Appendix X: Modification Agreement

The following documents may be required during the contract development process:

• Proof of Workers’ Compensation Insurance (if applicable)

• Proof of Disability Benefits Coverage (if applicable)

• ST-220-CA Contractor Certification to Covered Agency (if applicable)

• OCFS-4631, MWBE Utilization Plan Form (if applicable)

• OCFS-4629, Project Staffing Plan Form

• SDVOB 100, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Utilization Plan (if applicable)

• OCFS-4441, MWBE Quarterly Report Form (Required during contract term. See Attachment MWBE/Appendix MWBE for more information.)

Contact Information

Primary contact:

Director of Contracts Office of Children & Family Services 52 Washington Street Room 202S – Procurement Unit Rensselaer, NY 12144 funding@ocfs.ny.gov

Submit to contact:

Director of Contracts Office of Children & Family Services 52 Washington Street Room 202S – Procurement Unit Rensselaer, NY 12144 funding@ocfs.ny.gov

Attachments

Please see the following attachments to this announcement, which are available on the New York State Contract Reporter website at https://www.nyscr.ny.gov or the OCFS website at https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/contracts/funding/.

• Attachment 1 – Letter of Interest*

• Attachment 2 – Submission Checklist*

• Attachment 3 – Affirmation of Business Status*

• Attachment 4 – Cost Proposal*

* Attachments marked with an asterisk must be completed and included with your response submission.

http://www.wcb.ny.gov/content/main/forms/AllForms.jsp http://www.wcb.ny.gov/content/main/forms/AllForms.jsp https://www.tax.ny.gov/pdf/current_forms/st/st220ca_fill_in.pdf http://ocfs.ny.gov/main/Forms/Contracts/OCFS-4631%20M-WBE%20Utilization%20Plan%20Form.dot https://ocfs.ny.gov/forms/ocfs/OCFS-4629.docx https://ogs.ny.gov/sdvob-100-utilization-plan http://ocfs.ny.gov/main/Forms/Contracts/OCFS-4631%20M-WBE%20Utilization%20Plan%20Form.dot https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/contracts/docs/mwbe/MWBE-Attachment.pdf http://ocfs.ny.gov/main/bcm/MWBE-Appendix.pdf mailto:funding@ocfs.ny.gov mailto:funding@ocfs.ny.gov https://www.nyscr.ny.gov/ https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/contracts/funding/