Grant Application for Safe and Successful Youth Initiative Human Trafficking Intervention Program.docx

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

GRANT APPLICATION

FOR

SAFE AND SUCCESSFUL YOUTH INITIATIVE

HUMAN TRAFFICKING INTERVENTION PROGRAM

ISSUED: August 28, 2026 Document Number: 27EHSSSYIGRANTHTKA

Grant Application - Table of Contents

GRANT APPLICATION ATTACHMENTS:

ATTACHMENT A: MODEL GRANT AGREEMENT

ATTACHMENT B: RESPONSE FORM

ATTACHMENT C: BUDGET FORM

Grant Application Name/Title

Safe and Successful Youth Initiative Human Trafficking Intervention Program

Grant Application Number

27EHSSSYIGRANTHTKA

Purchasing Department

Executive Office of Health and Human Services

Address

One Ashburton Place, 11th Floor

City, State Zip Code

Boston, MA 02108

Procurement Contact Person

Cristin O’Rourke

E-Mail Address

EOHHS-Procurement@mass.gov

EOHHS—Safe and Successful Youth Initiative Human Trafficking Intervention Program Grant Application EOHHS—Safe and Successful Youth Initiative Human Trafficking Intervention Program Page i

INTRODUCTION

Overview and Purpose of Procurement Pursuant to 815 CMR 2.00, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) is issuing this Grant Application (or Bid) to solicit Responses (or Quotes) to this Grant Application from qualified entities (Respondents or Bidders) to implement the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative Human Trafficking Intervention Program (SSYI HT) in accordance with the requirements set forth in Attachment A, Model Grant Agreement.

Through SSYI HT, EOHHS seeks to strengthen services for children, youth, and young adults up to age 30 who are victims, survivors, or individuals at risk of Human Trafficking. Pursuant to Section 2.2.A of Attachment A, Respondents who receive grant funding are required to provide Individual and Community Services, which includes:

1. Core Services—Survivor Mentoring and Case Management

2. Promoting systems coordination and collaboration

3. Supplemental services, if applicable Respondents may also propose to provide Statewide Training and Technical Assistance (see Section 2.2.B of Attachment A), which strengthens and expands the Commonwealth’s response to Human Trafficking.

EOHHS anticipates awarding grant funding to approximately three to five Grantees.

Background The Safe and Successful Youth Initiative (SSYI) is a multifaceted, public health violence intervention program launched by the Commonwealth in 2011 and administered by EOHHS. As defined in line item 4000-0005, “. . . the grants shall be targeted at reducing youth violence among young persons at highest risk of being perpetrators or victims of gun and community violence. . ..” In the spring of 2020, EOHHS expanded SSYI to establish SSYI HT, recognizing Human Trafficking as a severe form of community violence that often is connected with other forms of violence. EOHHS established SSYI HT as a separate program through line item 4000-0005 to meet the needs of individuals up to the age of 30 who have experienced or are at risk of Human Trafficking.

Since its inception, SSYI HT has contributed to statewide anti-trafficking efforts and expanded its impact across the Commonwealth. This growth has paralleled the development of the state’s broader anti-trafficking infrastructure. In 2015, Governor Charlie Baker signed Executive Order 563, which re-launched the Governor’s Council to Address Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence (Council) and elevated the Council to the Governor’s Office.[footnoteRef:2] The Council includes representation from state agencies, service providers, advocates, healthcare, law enforcement, and higher education. [2: Governor Charlie Baker, Executive Order No. 563, “Re-Launching the Governor's Council to Address Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence,” Commonwealth of Massachusetts, April 27, 2015, https://www.mass.gov/executive-orders/no-563-re-launching-the-governors-council-to-address-sexual-assault-and-domestic-violence.]

In April 2023, Governor Maura Healey signed Executive Order 611 to expand the mission of the Council to specifically include Human Trafficking.[footnoteRef:3] The Council is now known as the Governor’s Council to Address Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Human Trafficking. The Council is chaired by Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll and currently operates through seven specialized subcommittees: Assessment and Response; Early Interventions; Economic Mobility; Housing Stability; Human Trafficking; Military, Veterans, and Families; and RESPECTfully.[footnoteRef:4] The EOHHS Office of Children, Youth and Families (CYF) has co-chaired the Council’s Sex Trafficking Branch of the Human Trafficking Subcommittee (Subcommittee), which develops strategic programmatic and policy recommendations to address Human Trafficking in the Commonwealth. [3: Governor Maura Healey, Executive Order No. 611, “Establishing the Governor's Council to Address Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Human Trafficking,” Commonwealth of Massachusetts, April 12, 2023, https://www.mass.gov/executive-orders/no-611-establishing-the-governors-council-to-address-sexual-assault-domestic-violence-and-human-trafficking.] [4: “Mission, Purpose, History, and Structure,” Governor’s Council to Address Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Human Trafficking, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, accessed August 11, 2026, https://www.mass.gov/info-details/mission-purpose-history-and-structure.]

In January 2026, the Subcommittee released a Five-Year Statewide Plan to Address Sex Trafficking.[footnoteRef:5] The plan presents a roadmap to prevent exploitation, support survivors, address systemic drivers of trafficking, and hold perpetrators accountable. This includes six recommendation areas focused on “Leadership,” “Empowerment,” “Justice,” “Collaboration,” “Prevention,” and “Measurement” with 23 outcomes and 94 action steps.[footnoteRef:6] [5: Governor’s Council to Address Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Human Trafficking, Five-Year Statewide Plan to Address Sex Trafficking, Executive Office of the Governor, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, January 26, 2026, https://www.mass.gov/doc/five-year-statewide-plan-to-address-sex-trafficking-2025/download.] [6: Governor’s Council to Address Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Human Trafficking, Five-Year Statewide Plan to Address Sex Trafficking, Executive Office of the Governor, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, January 26, 2026, https://www.mass.gov/doc/five-year-statewide-plan-to-address-sex-trafficking-2025/download.]

Recipients of funding from this Grant Application will support EOHHS in implementing the Five-Year Statewide Plan to Address Sex Trafficking, including recommendation 2, “Empowerment,” which expands the network of support services for survivors, with a particular emphasis on accessible, survivor-led service delivery models.[footnoteRef:7] The plan outlines a strategy to support providers in strengthening Human Trafficking service delivery models by addressing gaps in systems of care and ensuring survivors can access trauma-informed, culturally responsive services. [7: Governor’s Council to Address Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Human Trafficking, Five-Year Statewide Plan to Address Sex Trafficking, Executive Office of the Governor, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, January 26, 2026, https://www.mass.gov/doc/five-year-statewide-plan-to-address-sex-trafficking-2025/download.]

Programmatic Goals and Successful Approaches An effective SSYI HT Program approach requires substantial knowledge of the Human Trafficking, nonjudgmental empathy, persistence, and effective teamwork among those who have contact with individuals who have experienced Human Trafficking. Due to past experiences and the strong pull of exploitative relationships, individuals often resist assistance and have had ambivalent relationships with helping professionals. To address this, SSYI HT integrates the role of trained Survivor Mentors who have lived experience related to exploitation, which can be particularly effective when working with Participants. Because they understand the experience of Human Trafficking firsthand, Survivor Mentors can establish trusting relationships with Participants. Survivor Mentors are uniquely positioned to promote Participant empowerment and respond effectively to a Participant’s needs and strengths. The inclusion of lived experience is integral to SSYI HT. Grantees are expected to implement strategies that support the hiring and retention of staff with lived experience of Human Trafficking. Under limited circumstances, EOHHS may consider alternative proposed approaches to the lived experience requirement.

SSYI HT Grantees are also encouraged to use a Positive Youth Development (PYD) approach. PYD considers developmental processes that all children experience and encourages those who work with youth to provide services that identify and support improved developmental outcomes. EOHHS’s CYF has adopted a modified “America’s Promise” PYD framework to help guide youth policy and program development.[footnoteRef:8] Grantees working with Participants experiencing exploitation are encouraged to integrate these PYD components into service implementation. The framework suggests that youth who have supports in these five key developmental areas will have better life outcomes than youth who lack supports in these areas: [8: America's Promise Alliance, Every Child, Every Promise: Turning Failure Into Action (America’s Promise Alliance, 2006), https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED505358.pdf.]

Caring adults Safe places and constructive use of time A healthy start and healthy development Effective education for marketable skills and lifelong learning Opportunities to make a difference through helping others

Additionally, EOHHS’s CYF considers the following to be key characteristics of successful Programs, which Grantees are encouraged to adopt and implement. Specifically, successful Programs:

Are Participant centered Create opportunities for meaningful participation Are strengths-based and focus on positive outcomes Emphasize and value caring relationships between Participants and adults as a key mechanism for building success Promote civic engagement Have staff who are trained to provide trauma-informed services Demonstrate cultural competence, humility, and responsiveness—respectfully interacting with diverse groups, including but not limited to, various beliefs, cultures, values, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, disability, language, national origin, and other identities and attributes Lastly, Grantees are encouraged to consider the geographical reach of their services and, where possible and applicable, optimize opportunities to engage with underserved communities in the Commonwealth.

Definitions See Attachment A, Model Grant Agreement, Section 1.

Number of Grant Agreements and Grant Term EOHHS anticipates awarding a total of approximately $900,000 million in FY2027 and $1.8 million in subsequent years in grant funding to approximately three to five Grantees.

The Grant Agreements awarded under this Grant Application shall commence upon execution by the parties and end on June 30, 2029, subject to (1) the Grantee’s satisfactory performance, as determined by EOHHS, of all duties and obligations under the Grant Agreement, and (2) any termination provisions set forth in the Grant Agreement. The Grant Agreement may be extended through June 30, 2036, in increments determined by EOHHS and upon terms agreed to by the parties. EOHHS may also extend the Grant Agreement for any reasonable time period EOHHS determines necessary to complete a subsequent procurement.

If EOHHS terminates any Grant Agreement under this Grant Application for any reason, EOHHS, in its sole discretion, may modify funding for existing Grant Agreement(s) and/or negotiate with and award a Grant Agreement to any other Respondent.

This is an open enrollment procurement. See Section 3.2 for further information.

Respondent Qualifications To be considered for a Grant Agreement pursuant to this Grant Application, the Respondent, in addition to all other requirements specified herein, must:

Have substantial experience working with individuals who have experienced Human Trafficking;

Have the capability and willingness to perform all responsibilities set forth in Attachment A;

Be a business entity registered with the Massachusetts Secretary of State to do business in the Commonwealth; and Submit a complete Response to provide services as set forth in Section 2 of Attachment A.

Procurement Timetable The anticipated timeline for this Grant Application, which is subject to change at the discretion of EOHHS, is as follows:

MODEL GRANT AGREEMENT

Attachment A contains provisions that shall be incorporated into any Grant Agreement to be executed with a selected Respondent(s) (such Grant Agreement shall also include the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Standard Contract Form and Commonwealth Terms and Conditions). Attachment A specifies Definitions, Grantee Responsibilities, EOHHS Responsibilities, Payment, and Additional Requirements. EOHHS reserves the right to modify Attachment A as it deems necessary. Changes to the Grant Agreement after its execution by the parties shall be made only by written amendment.

RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS

Response Submission Instructions Complete Responses must be submitted by the deadline specified in Section 1.7. Attachment B, Response Form (Response), includes all required sections the Respondent must complete and lists all attachments the Respondent must provide to respond to this Grant Application, including Attachment C, Budget Form. All Responses must be submitted in accordance with the submission instructions in this section.

All procurements posted on COMMBUYS, known as Bids, require the submission of electronic Responses, also referred to as Quotes. To submit an electronic Quote, Respondents must register and maintain an active COMMBUYS Vendor account. Questions about COMMBUYS should be directed to the COMMBUYS Help Desk at commbuys@mass.gov. In addition, there is a webcast, How to Search for Bid Solicitations in COMMBUYS that Respondents may find helpful. See Section 5.2 of this Grant Application for further information about COMMBUYS.

Respondents must submit electronic Quotes on COMMBUYS by the date and time specified in Section 1.7. COMMBUYS will not accept submissions after the specified deadline. The Respondent shall comply with all COMMBUYS electronic submission requirements and file size limits.

All required attachments shall be in Word or Excel formats only, as appropriate. Respondents shall follow any other instructions regarding form and format that may be specified in Attachment B.

Attachments must be uploaded individually and cannot be combined in a zipped file. Electronic submissions made by any method other than COMMBUYS, including submissions on removable storage devices, will not be accepted. Facsimile and emailed responses will not be accepted.

A complete Grant Application Response shall consist of:

A completed Attachment B, Response Form, including required attachments; and A completed Attachment C, Budget Form, for FY2027, Q3–4 (January 1, 2027–June 30, 2027); FY2028 (July 1, 2027–June 30, 2028); and FY2029 (July 1, 2028–June 30, 2029).

Each document, and document section, submitted shall include only information specific to the topic of that document and section. Superfluous information may be disregarded.

EOHHS, in its discretion, may choose not to consider any material that is not presented in accordance with EOHHS’s instructions in evaluating the Respondent’s Response.

The Respondent shall adhere to character and page limits where specified. Respondents are strongly encouraged not to include attachments that are extraneous, duplicative, or do not apply directly to the content requested. The Evaluation Committee will not consider attachments that are not required or narratives that exceed the text response limits noted in the Response Form.

A Respondent may submit only one Response.

Respondents shall follow any other instructions regarding form and format that may be specified in Attachment B.

Open Enrollment Process This is an open enrollment procurement. EOHHS will accept Responses from qualified Respondents during any open enrollment period or periods specified by EOHHS throughout the term of the Grant Agreement.

If EOHHS, after the initial deadline for Responses has passed, has not received a sufficient number of Responses, as determined by EOHHS, EOHHS may immediately reopen the Grant Application to accept additional Responses.

If EOHHS terminates any Grant Agreement under this Grant Application for any reason, EOHHS, in its sole discretion, may reopen the Grant Application to accept additional Responses.

EOHHS may reopen this Grant Application for any other reason as set forth in this section.

EOHHS will determine when and if the Grant Application will be reopened. Information on reopening will be posted on the same COMMBUYS page where this Grant Application is posted.

RESPONSE EVALUATION

Responses to this Grant Application shall be evaluated by an Evaluation Committee (Committee) appointed by EOHHS.

Qualifying Responses The Committee will evaluate all Responses of qualified Respondents that comply with the requirements of Section 3.1.

Any Response may be rejected at any time during the evaluation process if the Respondent:

Fails to demonstrate to EOHHS’s satisfaction that it meets the Respondent qualifications set forth in Section 1.6;

Fails to demonstrate to EOHHS’s satisfaction that it meets all other Grant Application requirements;

Fails to satisfy all Response Submission Instructions in Section 3.1, to submit a Response organized in accordance with all instructions, or to submit a Response that is complete in all respects;

Fails to submit all required information or otherwise comply with all requirements of Attachment B;

Receives a rating of “Poor” or “Non-Responsive” in the evaluation of one or more items in the Respondent’s Response;

Has any interest that may, in EOHHS’s sole determination, conflict with performance of services for the Commonwealth or is otherwise anti-competitive;

Fails to agree to a date and time for an oral presentation or fails to make an oral presentation, if invited by the Committee;

Fails, or one or more of its Subgrantees fail, to agree to a site visit;

Rejects or qualifies its agreement to any of the mandatory provisions of the Grant Application; or Fails to reach agreement with EOHHS on all Grant Agreement terms.

Response Review Process, Evaluation Criteria, and Selection The Committee will evaluate all Responses of qualified Respondents that comply with the requirements of Section 3.1.

Evaluation Criteria The Committee will determine whether the Respondent satisfied all Business Response requirements in Attachment B on a “Satisfactory” or “Unsatisfactory” basis.

The Committee will evaluate each element of the Respondent’s Programmatic Response for comprehensiveness, appropriateness, feasibility, clarity, effectiveness, innovation, and responsiveness to the needs of EOHHS and the goals of SSYI HT including those set forth in Section 1.3.

The Committee will (1) evaluate each section of the Respondent’s Programmatic Response, (2) rate the overall Programmatic Response according to the following scale: “Excellent,” “Very Good,” “Good,” “Fair,” “Poor,” or “Non-Responsive,” (3) compare the Responses to one another; and (4) assign each Response an overall rating.

Each Cost Response will be reviewed by the Committee for its reasonableness, competitiveness, and value to EOHHS. Cost will be one factor, but not the sole factor, in the Committee’s consideration. EOHHS is not required to choose the Respondent that proposes the lowest cost. Should a Respondent be selected, EOHHS may fully or partially fund the request submitted by the Respondent.

Past Performance The Committee, in its sole discretion, may consider any relevant information about the Respondent known to EOHHS, including any EOHHS evaluations of a contractor or grantee’s performance in programs or grants administered by EOHHS, and any corrective actions or restrictions imposed by EOHHS or other Commonwealth agencies. The Committee also may consider any information that may have previously been provided by the Respondent or is otherwise available or known to EOHHS or other state agencies or secretariats.

Actions for Non-Compliance with Grant Application EOHHS, in its sole discretion, may determine that non-compliance with any Grant Application requirement is insubstantial. In such cases, the Committee may:

Seek clarification from a Respondent;

Allow the Respondent to make technical corrections;

Apply appropriate adjustments in the scoring of the evaluation; or Utilize other remedial action EOHHS deems appropriate, such as applying a combination of all three remedies.

Oral Presentation/Finalist Interviews The Committee may, in its sole discretion, invite Respondents whose Responses have been judged competitive and responsive in the course of the evaluation to participate in an oral presentation/finalist interview. At that time, the Respondents’ Responses may be discussed and clarified, but not changed in any way. The Committee reserves the right to apply restrictions to the structure and content of the oral presentations, and to instruct the Respondents regarding attendees and the presentation/interview process.

Oral presentations/finalist interviews shall not be open to the public nor to any competitors. Failure of a Respondent to agree to a date and time for a presentation/interview or to make a presentation/interview may result in rejection of the Respondent’s Response.

Site Visits The Committee may, in its sole discretion and at its convenience, elect to inspect any of the Respondents’ or Subgrantees’ offices, facilities, or resources prior to executing a Grant Agreement. Failure to agree to such a site visit may result in rejection of the Respondent’s Response.

References EOHHS, in its sole discretion, may request that the Respondent provide references, and may verify or contact any references provided at any time during the evaluation process. In addition, EOHHS reserves the right to request, verify, and contact additional references from any Respondent at any time prior to executing a Grant Agreement under this Grant Application.

Recommendation to Enter into Grant Agreement Negotiations After the Evaluation Committee completes its evaluation, comparison, and rating of Responses (and, if applicable, finalist interviews/oral presentations, site visits, and reference checks), the Committee will recommend to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, or his designee, the Respondents with whom to begin Grant Agreement negotiations. The Secretary or his designee will make a decision based on the Committee’s recommendations and the best interests of the Commonwealth. EOHHS is under no obligation to award any Grant Agreements pursuant to this Grant Application.

Best Value Selection and Negotiation EOHHS will select the response(s) which, in its sole discretion, it determines demonstrate(s) the best value overall to EOHHS and the Commonwealth. EOHHS, in its sole discretion, may negotiate with any selected Respondent prior to executing a Grant Agreement. A recommendation for a Grant Agreement award will be contingent upon successful negotiation of Grant Agreement terms, including budgets. Should EOHHS fail to reach an agreement on Grant Agreement terms with any selected Respondent, EOHHS, in its sole discretion, may negotiate with, and award a Grant to, any other Respondent it selects, or reopen the Grant Application, as set forth in Section 3.2.

Grant Agreement Awards The award of any Grant Agreements under this Grant Application shall be subject to sufficient appropriation, availability of funds, all necessary approvals, and successful negotiation of Grant Agreement terms.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Issuing Office Executive Office of Health and Human Services One Ashburton Place, 11th Floor Boston, MA 02108

COMMBUYS Market Center COMMBUYS is the official source of information for this Bid and is publicly accessible at no charge at www.commbuys.com. Information contained in this document and in COMMBUYS, including file attachments, and information contained in the related Bid Questions and Answers (Q&A), if any, are all components of the Bid. Bidders are solely responsible for obtaining all information distributed for this Bid via COMMBUYS.

It is each Bidder’s responsibility to check COMMBUYS for:

· Any amendments, addenda, or modifications to this Bid and

· Any Bid Q&A records related to this Bid.

The Commonwealth accepts no responsibility and will provide no accommodation to Bidders who submit a Response based on an out-of-date Bid or on information received from a source other than COMMBUYS.

COMMBUYS Registration: Bidders may elect to obtain a free COMMBUYS Vendor registration, which provides value-added features, including automated email notification associated with postings and modifications to COMMBUYS records. However, in order to respond to a Bid, Bidders must register and maintain an active COMMBUYS Vendor registration account.

All Bidders submitting a Quote (also referred to as Response) in response to this Bid (also referred to as the Grant Application) agree that, if awarded a grant agreement, (1) they shall maintain an active seller account in COMMBUYS; (2) they shall comply with all requests by the procuring entity to utilize COMMBUYS for the purposes of conducting all aspects of purchasing and invoicing with the Commonwealth, as added functionality for the COMMBUYS system is activated; and (3) in the event the Commonwealth adopts an alternate market center system, Bidders shall be required to utilize such system, as directed by the procuring entity.

The COMMBUYS system introduces new terminology, which Bidders must be familiar with in order to conduct business with the Commonwealth. To view this terminology and to learn more about the COMMBUYS system, please visit the COMMBUYS Resource Center.

Questions specific to COMMBUYS should be directed to the COMMBUYS Help Desk at commbuys@mass.gov or by calling the COMMBUYS Help Desk at 1-888-MA-STATE (1-888-627-8283). The Help Desk is staffed from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday, Eastern Standard or Daylight time, as applicable, except on federal and state holidays.

COMMBUYS Resources

VENDORS: How to Search for Bid Solicitations in COMMBUYS

Webcast Learn how to use COMMBUYS search tools to locate Bid Solicitations in your area of interest, both from the public COMMBUYS page, and from your Seller home page. Also covered are various notifications that alert vendors to COMMBUYS opportunities. (14 minutes)

Link: VENDORS: How to Search for Bid Solicitations in COMMBUYS

Locate a Grant Posting and Create a Response (Logged-in)

Written Guide This job aid shows how to locate a grant posting, access the RFR and other attachments, and create and submit a response.

Link: Locate a Grant Posting and Create a Response (Logged-in)

Job Aids for Vendors Using COMMBUYS

Written Guide The following link outlines all of the publicly available job aids that provide step-by-step instructions to assist vendors in navigating the Commonwealth’s COMMBUYS Market Center.

Link: Job Aids for Vendors Using COMMBUYS

Respondent Communications Grant Application Contact Respondents are prohibited from communicating directly with any employee of EOHHS concerning this Grant Application. No other individual Commonwealth employee or representative is authorized to provide any information or respond to any question or inquiry concerning this Grant Application except as specified below. Respondents may contact the contact person for this Grant Application in the event this Grant Application is incomplete or information is missing. Respondents experiencing technical problems accessing information or attachments stored on COMMBUYS should contact the COMMBUYS Help Desk at commbuys@mass.gov.

Grant Application Contact: Cristin O’Rourke

Reasonable Accommodation Respondents with disabilities or hardships that seek reasonable accommodation, which may include the receipt of Grant Application information in an alternative format, must submit a written statement to the Grant Application contact person describing the Respondent’s disability and the requested accommodation to the contact person for the Grant Application. The Commonwealth reserves the right to reject unreasonable requests.

Electronic Communication/Update of Respondent’s/Grantee’s Contact Information It is the responsibility of the prospective Respondent and awarded Grantee to keep current the email address(es) of the Respondent’s contact person and prospective Grant manager, if awarded a grant, and to monitor that email inbox for communications from the Committee, including requests for clarification. The Committee and the Commonwealth assume no responsibility if a prospective Respondent’s/awarded Grantee’s designated email address is not current, or if technical problems, including those with the prospective Respondent’s/awarded Grantee’s computer, network or internet service provider (ISP) cause email communications sent to/from the prospective Respondent/awarded Grantee and EOHHS to be lost or rejected by any means, including email or spam filtering.

Grant Application Copies Respondents should download all Grant Application documents from COMMBUYS. If necessary, Respondents may request a copy of the Grant Application, or any of its components, by contacting the Grant Application contact person through any of the methods described in Section 5.3.A.

Grant Application Questions Respondents may submit written questions concerning this Grant Application until no later than the date and time specified in the timetable in Section 1.7 of this Grant Application. Written questions must be sent to the Grant Application contact person at the email address listed in Section 5.3.A. The Bid Q&A functionality in COMMBUYS will not be used for this Grant Application.

Questions received after the deadline may be disregarded. EOHHS will review questions received by the deadline and, at its discretion, prepare written responses to questions that EOHHS determines to be of general interest and relevant to the preparation of a Grant Application Response. The written answers will be posted on COMMBUYS. Only written answers are binding. Respondents should check COMMBUYS for updates.

Amendment or Withdrawal of Grant Application If EOHHS decides to amend or clarify any part of this Grant Application, an announcement and a written amendment will be posted on COMMBUYS. EOHHS reserves the right to amend the Grant Application at any time prior to the deadline for submission of Responses and to terminate this procurement in whole or in part at any time.

Grant Application Errors This Grant Application may contain errors that may be corrected by EOHHS at any time prior to Grant Agreement execution. Corrections to this Grant Application will be posted on COMMBUYS.

Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) All Respondents responding to this Grant Application must agree to participate in the Commonwealth Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) program for receiving payments. Additional information about EFT is available on the Comptroller’s Vendor Web site located at https://massfinance.state.ma.us/VendorWeb/vendor.asp.

As part of the Grant Agreement execution, any successful Respondent must enroll in EFT. The Electronic Funds Transfer Sign-Up Form, along with a voided check, will be reviewed, approved, and forwarded to the Office of the Comptroller. If the Grantee is already enrolled in the program, the Grantee does not have to complete a new EFT form. Because the Electronic Funds Transfer Sign-Up Form contains banking information, this form, and all information included on this form, shall not be considered a public record and shall not be subject to public disclosure through a public records request.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Standard Contract Form and Commonwealth Terms and Conditions Respondents selected as Grantees agree to abide by the terms of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Standard Contract Form and Commonwealth Terms and Conditions. EOHHS is prohibited from amending these documents or agreeing to any change in the language. Any Respondent’s suggestion or requirement altering these documents will be disregarded.

Acceptance of Response Content The entire contents of the Respondent’s Response shall be binding. This Grant Application and all response documents submitted in response to it by a selected Respondent will, at EOHHS’s discretion, be incorporated by reference into any Grant Agreement awarded as a result of this Grant Application.

Alterations Respondents may not alter (manually or electronically) the Grant Application language or any procurement component files, except as directed in the Grant Application. Modifications to the body of the Grant Application, specifications, or terms and conditions, or that change the intent of this Grant Application are prohibited and may disqualify a Response.

Authorizations and Appropriations Any Grant awarded under this Grant Application is subject to all necessary federal and state approvals, as applicable, including from the Office of the Comptroller, and is subject to appropriation of sufficient funding, as determined by EOHHS.

MBTA Communities Act The receipt of Grant funds is contingent upon the Grantee being able to certify that it will comply with the Massachusetts General Laws, including G.L. c. 40A, § 3A, the MBTA Communities Act. Compliance with the MBTA Communities Act is determined by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.

Confidentiality Selected Respondents shall comply with all confidentiality requirements set forth in Section 5.6 of Attachment A. The selected Respondents shall be required to comply with all state and federal laws and regulations applicable to the privacy and security of personal and other confidential information, including, to the extent applicable, M.G.L. c. 66A, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the privacy and security regulations promulgated thereunder (45 CFR Parts 160 and 164) (the Privacy and Security Rules), 42 CFR Part 2, M.G.L. c. 233 §§ 20J through 20M, M.G.L. c. 119 § 51A, and the additional terms, conditions and obligations relating to the privacy, security and management of personal and other confidential information set forth in Attachment A. Further, EOHHS reserves the right to add any requirement during the course of the Grant Agreement that it determines it must include in the Grant Agreement in order for EOHHS to comply with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations relating to privacy and security, including but not limited to the Privacy and Security Rules.

Conflict of Interest Neither the Respondent nor any Subgrantee may have any interest that will conflict with the performance of services required under any Grant resulting from this Grant Application, or that may be otherwise anti-competitive, as determined by EOHHS, for the duration of the Grant Agreement. In order to so demonstrate, a Respondent may be required to submit any additional relevant information requested by EOHHS regarding its or its Subgrantees’ financial, legal, contractual, or other interests. If EOHHS, in its sole judgment, determines that a Respondent or its Subgrantee possesses a conflicting interest, EOHHS may propose or consider any measures which would eliminate or mitigate such conflicting interest to EOHHS’s satisfaction.

Grant Expansion If additional funds become available during the Grant duration period, EOHHS reserves the right to increase funding, at EOHHS’s discretion, to some or all grants executed as a result of this Grant Application or to execute grants with Respondents not funded in the initial selection process, subject to available funding, satisfactory grant performance, and need.

Costs The Commonwealth will not be responsible for any costs or expenses incurred by Respondents in responding to this Grant Application.

Debriefing Upon notification of the award decision, any non-selected Respondent may make a written request for debriefing. A debriefing meeting provides the Respondent an opportunity to discuss the evaluation of its Response. A request for debriefing must be received by the Grant Application contact specified under Section 5.3.A within 14 calendar days after the receipt of the award decision notification to the Respondent. Debriefing meetings shall be held at the discretion of EOHHS.

Ownership of Submitted Responses EOHHS shall be under no obligation to return any Responses or materials submitted by a Respondent in response to this Grant Application. All materials submitted by Respondents become the property of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and will not be returned to the Respondent.

Public Records Except as otherwise noted, all Responses and related documents submitted in response to this Grant Application are public records and are subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, M.G.L. c. 66, § 10 and M.G.L. c. 4, § 7 subsection 26. Any statements in submitted Responses that are inconsistent with these statutes will be disregarded.

Response Duration The Respondent’s Response shall remain in effect until a Grant Agreement resulting from this Grant Application is executed.

Restriction on the Use of the Commonwealth Seal Respondents and grantees are not allowed to display the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Seal in their bid package or subsequent marketing materials if they are awarded a Grant Agreement, because use of the coat of arms and the Great Seal of the Commonwealth for advertising or commercial purposes is prohibited by law.

Subgrantees Prior approval by EOHHS is required for any Subgrantees under the Grant Agreement. Grantees are responsible for the satisfactory performance and adequate oversight of their Subgrantee. Subgrantees are required to meet the same state and federal requirements, as applicable, as Grantees. See Section 5.20 of Attachment A.

Independence By submitting a Response to this Grant Application, the Respondent certifies that the Response has been arrived at independently and has been submitted without any communication, collaboration, or without any agreement, understanding or planned common course or action with, any other Respondent of the commodities and/or services described in the Grant Application.

Program Modifications and New Initiatives EOHHS shall have the option at its sole discretion to modify, increase, reduce, or terminate any activity related to this Grant Agreement whenever, in the judgment of EOHHS, the goals of the program, or available funding for the program, have been modified or altered in a way that necessitates such changes. In the event that the scope of work or portion thereof must be changed, EOHHS shall provide written notice of such action to the Grantee and the parties shall negotiate in good faith to implement any such changes proposed by EOHHS. Failure to reach agreement may result in partial or total loss of funding to the Grantee.

EOHHS additionally reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to amend the Grant Agreement to implement state or federal statutory or regulatory requirements, judicial orders, settlement agreements, or any state or federal initiatives or changes affecting EOHHS or the Grant Agreement.

Notwithstanding the generality of the foregoing, EOHHS reserves the right to amend the Grant Agreement to implement new initiatives or to modify initiatives related to:

1. New EOHHS programs or information technology systems;

2. Expansion of, or changes to, existing EOHHS programs or information technology systems;

3. Other programs as specified by EOHHS; and

4. Programs or information technology systems resulting from state or federal legislation, regulations, initiatives, or judicial decisions that may affect in whole or in part EOHHS or the Grant Agreement.

The parties shall negotiate in good faith to implement any such changes proposed by EOHHS. The Grantee’s responsibilities are subject to change due to implementation of such initiatives. EOHHS reserves the right to modify the Grant Agreement due to program modifications. In addition, the Grantee may request an opportunity to enter into negotiations with EOHHS over amendments to the Grant Agreement related to new initiatives or modified initiatives as described in this section. EOHHS may grant such a request in its sole discretion.

Any changes to the Grant Agreement under this section shall be subject to appropriate approvals.

Acceptable Forms of Signature Effective June 15, 2021, for all (1) Office of the Comptroller (CTR) forms, including the Standard Contract Form, W-9s, Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) forms, ISAs, and other CTR-issued documents and forms, or (2) documents related to state finance and within the statutory area of authority or control of CTR (i.e., contracts, payrolls, and related supporting documentation), CTR will accept signatures executed by an authorized signatory in any of the following ways: (1) Traditional “wet signature” (ink on paper); (2) Electronic signature that is either: (a) Hand-drawn using a mouse or finger if working from a touch screen device or (b) An uploaded picture of the signatory’s hand drawn signature; or (3) Electronic signatures affixed using a digital tool such as Adobe Sign or DocuSign. If using an electronic signature, the signature must be visible, include the signatory’s name and title, and must be accompanied by a signature date. Please be advised that typed text of a name not generated by a digital tool such as Adobe Sign or DocuSign, even in computer-generated cursive script, or an electronic symbol, are not acceptable forms of electronic signature.