Final Draft PreventionSteeringRFA _ExA-C.docx

INSTRUCTIONS

Submit applications via email to youthhomeless@commerce.wa.gov with the subject “Prevention Steering Committee RFA” no later than Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at 5:00 PM PST.

Applications must be fully completed as listed below in English or it may not be scored or considered for funding. No late submissions will be accepted.

☐ Prevention Steering Committee Competitive Funding Application

· Applicant Information (licensed to do business in WA State REQUIRED)

· References (up to 3, minimum of one REQUIRED) ☐ Narrative Questions

· This section must be submitted in Microsoft Word.

· Responses must adhere to the word limit for each question.

· Questions are labeled with the amount of points that will count towards the final score.

☐ Exhibit A – Certifications and Assurances REQUIRED Must be signed and dated, electronic or typed signatures are accepted ☐ Exhibit B – Workers’ Rights Certification REQUIRED Applicants that do not require an individual arbitration clause as a condition of employment will receive an extra 5% of points add to their final score ☐ Exhibit C – Prior Business/Employees with Washington REQUIRED ☐ EXHIBIT D – Budget (Excel) REQUIRED see Overview tab for instructions and definitions ☐ Commerce Application Survey (optional)

· Your responses will not impact the evaluation of your application in any way

· Your feedback helps us improve our processes for you.

For any questions or assistance, please contact youthhomeless@commerce.wa.gov with subject line indicating the “Prevention Steering Committee RFA”. Emailing youthhomeless@commerce.wa.gov is the sole point of contact in COMMERCE for this procurement. Any other communication will be considered unofficial and non-binding on COMMERCE. Applicants are to rely on written statements issued on the Q&A Document. Communication directed to other parties may result in disqualification of your application.

Recommendations

· Utilize live links throughout the RFA and Application to review additional information on important dates, contract template, program guidelines, HB 1198, SB 5167, Substitute Senate Bill 6560 and Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5290. All current documents can be found at https://deptofcommerce.box.com/s/sdq1xqxi9nm393s4yz9e1h2hzptaggys

· Refer to Section 1.2 Objectives and Scope of Work and Section 1.6 Award Priorities in the RFA in developing your application.

· Provide specific examples to illustrate the organizations capacity to do what is described in each response. Avoid generalized responses (for example, if you say your agency respects all youth in the program, then provide examples that demonstrate how respect is given to youth in the program).

· Engage with youth and young adults with lived experience of homelessness or housing instability for your program design and implementation.

· Collaborative grants are allowed, however, there needs to be one lead grantee that can subgrant part of the award to partner organizations as subgrantees. See Contracting Overview- OHY GUIDELINES FY25, Section 4: Subcontracts.

Office of Homeless Youth Prevention Steering Committee Competitive Funding Application RFP No. 25 – 46325-01

APPLICANT INFORMATION

Choose an item.

Contacts

Subgrantee 1 Information (if applicable)

☐ Yes ☐No

Summary of subgrantee’s primary responsibilities (50 words maximum)

Subgrantee 2 Information (if applicable)

☐ Yes ☐No

Summary of subgrantee’s primary responsibilities (50 words maximum)

Subgrantee 3 Information (if applicable)

☐ Yes ☐No

Summary of subgrantee’s primary responsibilities (50 words maximum)

Contributors Please list those who worked on the development of this application.

References (REQUIRED) List names, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of up to three (3) business references for the Applicant and/or the lead staff person for whom work has been accomplished and briefly describe the relationship to the Applicant. Do not include COMMERCE staff as references. By submitting an application, the Applicant and any partners or agents authorize COMMERCE to contact these references and others, who from COMMERCE’s perspective, may have pertinent information. COMMERCE may evaluate and contact references at COMMERCE’s discretion.

Applicant Reference 1

Relationship to Applicant:

Applicant Reference 2

Relationship to Applicant:

Applicant Reference 3

Relationship to Applicant:

ELIGIBILITY QUESTION (REQUIRED - unscored) This funding is for By and For Organizations. Explain how one or more of the applicant organizations meets the following definition (500 words max):

a. By and For organizations are operated by and for the community they serve.

b. Their primary mission and history is serving a specific community and they are culturally based, directed, and substantially controlled by individuals from the population they serve.

c. At the core of their programs, the organizations embody the community’s central cultural values. Will they know what the central cultural values are/ means?

d. These communities may include ethnic and racial minorities; Native Americans; immigrants and refugees; individuals who identify as LGBTQ+, and individuals with disabilities or who are deaf.

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NARRATIVE QUESTIONS

1. Describe how you would support the Steering Committee in becoming a self-governing body, capable of determining their own priorities and strategizing around them. Please provide details on this process, including participation expectations, a governance structure and skill development, with a primary focus on helping Steering Committee members turn experience into advocacy and advocacy into action.

13 points (500-word limit)

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2. In your work, how do you, or would you, invest in and shift power to people with lived experience, including, but not limited to, current/former participants and staff with lived experience? How do you avoid tokenizing lived experts?

9 points (350-word limit)

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3. Describe your plan to provide Steering Committee members with access to the following trainings: policy/advocacy, co-design, racial equity, disability justice and LGBTQ+ competency. What other trainings would you provide?

4 points (350-word limit)

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4. Describe your plan to holistically support Steering Committee members to address life changes, whether housing instability or other barriers, that may impact full participation. These supports may include flexible funding, service navigation, referrals to providers, etc.

9 points (350-word limit)

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5. A key component of this work is compensating Steering Committee members for their participation in a timely manner. Describe your plan to accomplish this. Please provide any relevant accounting processes within your organization.

7 points (350-word limit)

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6. Please describe your plan to maintain a fully recruited Steering Committee, including how you will recruit new members should existing members need to leave for any reason.

7 points (350-word limit) Click or tap here to enter text.

7. Describe any existing or anticipated partnerships that will support this project. Please provide a detailed response outlining the roles and responsibilities of any partners involved. Do you plan to subgrant any of this work to another organization?

7 points (word limit 350)

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8. What is your organization's process for managing conflict, both internally and externally (i.e. with other stakeholders or populations served)? Please include any relevant procedures or foundational principles, particularly your grievance process.

7 points (word limit 350)

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9. How does your organization approach conflict from a relational perspective? Please provide at least one example.

9 points (word limit 350) Click or tap here to enter text.

10. Identify potential risks to the proposed project, as well as plan for monitoring and managing risk; What potential risks should be considered significant to the success of the project?

4 points (word limit 350) Click or tap here to enter text.

11. How do the organizational staff learn about and implement equity principles? How do you participate in uncovering and reducing the inequities that are prevalent with marginalized communities such as youth of color, LGBTQ youth and youth with disabilities? Attach relevant written policies and procedures that help you provide more equitable services for LGBTQ+ youth and Youth of Color.

9 points (500-word limit)

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12. What does your organization do to keep services accessible for individuals with disabilities, neurodivergence, mental health challenges, and who speak another first language other than English?

9 points (350-word limit)

13. Describe your approach to infusing equity principles within the proposed project.

9 points (350-word limit)

EXHIBIT A – CERTIFICATIONS AND ASSURANCES (REQUIRED)

I/we make the following certifications and assurances as a required element of the application to which it is attached, understanding that the truthfulness of the facts affirmed here and the continuing compliance with these requirements are conditions precedent to the award or continuation of the related contract:

1. I/we declare that all answers and statements made in the application are true and correct.

2. The prices and/or cost data have been determined independently, without consultation, communication, or agreement with others for the purpose of restricting competition. However, I/we may freely join with other persons or organizations for the purpose of presenting a single application.

3. The attached application is a firm offer for a period of 60 days following receipt, and it may be accepted by COMMERCE without further negotiation (except where obviously required by lack of certainty in key terms) at any time within the 60-day period.

4. In preparing this application, I/we have not been assisted by any current or former employee of the state of Washington whose duties relate (or did relate) to this application or prospective contract, and who was assisting in other than his or her official, public capacity. If there are exceptions to these assurances, I/we have described them in full detail on a separate page attached to this document.

5. I/we understand that COMMERCE will not reimburse me/us for any costs incurred in the preparation of this application. All applications become the property of COMMERCE, and I/we claim no proprietary right to the ideas, writings, items, or samples, unless so stated in this application.

6. Unless otherwise required by law, the prices and/or cost data which have been submitted have not been knowingly disclosed by the Applicant and will not be knowingly disclosed by him/her prior to opening, directly or indirectly, to any other Applicant or to any competitor.

7. I/we agree that submission of the attached application constitutes acceptance of the solicitation contents and the attached sample contract and general terms and conditions. If there are any exceptions to these terms, I/we have described those exceptions in detail on a page attached to this document.

8. No attempt has been made or will be made by the Applicant to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit an application for the purpose of restricting competition.

9. I/we grant COMMERCE the right to contact references and others who may have pertinent information regarding the ability of the Applicant and the lead staff person to perform the services contemplated by this RFA.

10. If any staff member(s) who will perform work on this contract has retired from the State of Washington under the provisions of the 2008 Early Retirement Factors legislation, his/her name(s) is noted on a separately attached page.

11. I/we are not debarred from doing business with the state of Washington or the United States.

EXHIBIT A – CERTIFICATIONS AND ASSURANCES (page 2)

I/We have reviewed Exhibit E – Service Grant Format with General Terms and Conditions and I/we: (check one) ☐ are submitting proposed Contract edits. If proposed Contract edits are being submitted, I/we have attached them to this form. (See Section 2.13) ☐ are not submitting proposed Contract exceptions. (Default if neither are checked)

On behalf of the Applicant submitting this application, my signature below attests to the accuracy of the above statement as well as my authority to bind the submitting organization.

Signature of Applicant Date

REQUIRED Must be signed and dated by a person authorized to legally bind the applicant to a contractual relationship, e.g., the President or Executive Director if a corporation, the managing partner if a partnership, or the proprietor if a sole proprietorship. Electronic signatures are acceptable.

EXHIBIT B – WORKERS RIGHTS CERTIFICATION (REQUIRED)

CONTRACTOR CERTIFICATION

EXECUTIVE ORDER 18-03 – WORKERS’ RIGHTS

WASHINGTON STATE GOODS & SERVICES CONTRACTS

Pursuant to the Washington State Governor’s Executive Order 18-03 (dated June 12, 2018), the Washington State Department of Commerce is seeking to contract with qualified entities and business owners who certify that their employees are not, as a condition of employment, subject to mandatory individual arbitration clauses and class or collective action waivers.

Solicitation No.: 25 – 46325-01

I hereby certify, on behalf of the organization identified below, as follows (check one):

☐ NO MANDATORY INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION CLAUSES AND CLASS OR COLLECTIVE ACTION WAIVERS FOR EMPLOYEES. This organization does NOT require its employees, as a condition of employment, to sign or agree to mandatory individual arbitration clauses or class or collective action waivers.

OR

☐ MANDATORY INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION CLAUSES AND CLASS OR COLLECTIVE ACTION WAIVERS FOR EMPLOYEES. This organization requires its employees, as a condition of employment, to sign or agree to mandatory individual arbitration clauses or class or collective action waivers.

OR

☐ This organization certifies it has no employees.

I hereby certify, under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of Washington, that the certifications herein are true and correct and that I am authorized to make these certifications on behalf of the organization listed herein.

NAME: ______________________________________________________________

Print full legal entity name of organization

Printed Name

Return to RFP Coordinator as part of your complete response.

EXHIBIT C – Prior Business/Employees with Washington State (REQUIRED) Specific restrictions apply to contracting with current or former state employees pursuant to chapter 42.52 of the Revised Code of Washington. Applicants should familiarize themselves with the requirements prior to submitting an application that includes current or former state employees.

Has your organization or sub-grantees organization had any staff or governing board members that were or are currently an employee of the state of Washington during the past 24 months?

☐ No ☐ Yes

If yes, please identify the individual by name, the agency previously or currently employed by, job title or position held, and separation date (if applicable).

Has your organization or sub grantees organization contracted with the state of Washington during the past two (2) years?

☐ No ☐ Yes

If yes, please detail agency name, contract number, project description and/or other information available to help us identify the contract (may attach as separate excel file).

Has your organization had a contract terminated for default in the last five years?[footnoteRef:1] [1: Termination for default is defined as notice to stop performance due to the Applicant’s non-performance or poor performance and the issue of performance was either (a) not litigated due to inaction on the part of the Applicant, or (b) litigated and such litigation determined that the Applicant was in default. ]

☐ No ☐ Yes

If yes, please detail the terms for default including the other party's name, address, and phone number. Present the Applicant’s position on the matter (400-word limit).[footnoteRef:2] [2: COMMERCE will evaluate the facts and may, at its sole discretion, reject the application on the grounds of the past experience.]

EXHIBIT D - Budget (must be submitted with application)

EXHIBIT E - Service Grant Format with General Terms and Conditions (information only)

EXHIBIT F - Contracting Overview- OHY GUIDELINES FY25 (information only) Required Policies- OHY GUIDELINES FY25 Fiscal Administration- OHY GUIDELINES FY25 Personnel- OHY GUIDELINES FY25

Please note: Reporting requirements, as described in Data and Performance - OHY GUIDELINES FY25, do not apply for this grant program. HMIS will NOT be required. Instead, a mix of aggregate data (i.e.: number of youth served) and qualitative reporting (i.e.: activities funded by the grant) will be used. OHY will work with lived expert consultants, grantees, and data and performance specialists at Commerce to determine specific reporting requirements.

EXHIBIT G - Glossary (information only) OHY Competitive Funding Application – Prevention Steering Committee │ 8

Commerce Application Survey The following questions are intended to help us improve our application process. Please indicate your agreement/disagreement with the following statements. Your responses will not impact the evaluation of your application in any way.

1. The application instructions were clear.

☐ Strongly Disagree ☐ Disagree ☐ Neither Agree nor Disagree ☐ Agree ☐ Strongly Agree

2. The application questions were easily understood.

☐ Strongly Disagree ☐ Disagree ☐ Neither Agree nor Disagree

3. I was able to receive the assistance I needed from Commerce to complete the application.

☐ Strongly Disagree ☐ Disagree ☐ Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. I had adequate time to prepare the application prior to the deadline.

☐ Disagree ☐ Neither Agree nor Disagree

5. Given program requirements, the application process was reasonable.

☐ Disagree ☐ Neither Agree nor Disagree ☐ Agree ☐ Strongly Agree

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