HSS25028-ADVHLTHCOL-ad1.pdf

Delaware Health

And Social Services

DIVISION OF MANAGEMENT SERVICES

PROCUREMENT

DATE: March 7, 2025

HSS 25 028

ADVANCING HEALTHY LIFESTYLES COALITION AND CONFERENCE FACILITATION

FOR

DIVISION OF PUBLIC HEALTH

Date Due: April 8, 2025

1:00PM

ADDENDUM # 1 Please Note:

THE ATTACHED SHEETS HEREBY BECOME A PART OF THE ABOVE-

MENTIONED BID.

Responses to questions received by the deadline of February 27, 2025.

Eddie Mui

Management Analyst III

(302) 255-9291

William Ingram

(302) 744-4706

VENDOR QUESTIONS

RFP HSS-25-028: ADVANCING HEALTHY LIFESTYLES COALITION AND CONFERENCE FACILITATION

As of: 2/27/25

1. How do I respond to say that I am not interested in bidding on this RFP?

Answer - Please fill out Attachment 1 if you do NOT intend to submit a bid for this RFP and send to DHSS_DMS_dmsprocure@delaware.gov with the RFP number noted.

2. Are organizations that were not invited still eligible to submit a proposal?

Answer - All bidders are welcome to submit a bid for this RFP.

3. If so, how should we complete Attachment 1 in our response?

Answer - Please do NOT submit Attachment 1 if you plan to make a bid.

4. Is there an incumbent or current vendor doing this work? If yes, why are you launching this

RFP?

Answer - The Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention Program is under contract with a vendor who is currently doing this work. Due to State procurement regulations, it was required to put this project out for RFP.

5. Are out of pocket cost for the conference, meeting or other venue space and materials separate from the RFP budget of $200,000 or do these items need to be included in the pricing?

Answer - All expenses, including out of pocket costs for the conference, meeting and venue space, and materials, should be included in the proposed budget under this RFP. The selected bidder will be responsible for securing sponsorships to cover costs beyond the $200,000 maximum budget for services under this RFP. Bidders can assume external marketing and printing expenses can be supported through the Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention Program’s marketing vendor.

6. Currently - how many coalitions are there and how many subcommittee meetings are there?

And how many are there expected to be in year 1 and/or beyond?

Answer - Currently, there is one Advancing Healthy Lifestyles Coalition. The Coalition currently has six (6) subcommittees which currently are Community Engagement, Program Development, Marketing and Communication, Policy, Student, and the Conference Steering Committee. This structure is expected to remain in year 1 and beyond, unless there is an identified need to add or remove any subcommittees.

7. Is there a current system, tool or process to maintain coalition membership? If yes, what is it/are they?

mailto:DHSS_DMS_dmsprocure@delaware.gov

Answer - Membership is currently maintained via Microsoft Excel. Bidders are encouraged to describe their plans and proposed method for maintaining Coalition membership.

8. Are the coalition and subcommittee meetings currently in person or virtual or combination of both? If a combination, approximately what percentage are in person vs. virtual?

Answer - Coalition meetings are currently hosted in-person on a quarterly basis. Subcommittee meetings are currently hosted virtually on a monthly basis, with the exception of the Marketing Committee which meets bi-monthly and the Conference Steering Committee which meets bi-weekly.

9. We are preparing our proposal and have a question regarding the structure of the Proposal/Executive Summary Component. Can you please clarify what information you'd like included regarding each of the following Proposal/Executive Summary topic areas:

- Administrative Oversight

- Quality Assurance Program Details

- Available Resources

- Methodology

Answer - Bidders are welcome to present their proposal in a manner that best describes their approach and methodology to implementing the services as described in the RFP. Bidders should include detailed plans, approach, intended outcomes, and prior experience relevant to each component specified in the RFP.

10. Additionally, are there page length or layout/pagination requirements for this proposal/ is there a page limit?

Answer - There are not specified page length requirements for this RFP. Bidders are encouraged to provide detailed, yet concise proposals describing their proposed approach and methodology for implementing the services as described in the RFP.

11. For the Coalition Quarterly Meetings, Coalition Subcommittee Meetings, and Coalition Leadership Team Meetings, will any of these sessions be held virtually? Or are all meetings anticipated to take place in person? Additionally, how frequently are Leadership Team Meetings and Subcommittee Meetings held?

Answer - Coalition meetings are currently hosted in-person on a quarterly basis. Subcommittee meetings are currently hosted virtually on a monthly basis, with the exception of the Marketing Committee which meets bi-monthly and the Conference Steering Committee which meets bi-weekly. Leadership Team meetings are currently held on an as-needed basis as determined by Leadership Team members, typically quarterly.

12. For the facilitation of coalition projects, how frequently are webinars, community conversations and town halls held? How often are these activities facilitated in person vs facilitated virtually?

Answer - The Coalition currently hosts approximately 8 virtual webinars per year. During the past year, the Coalition has hosted three in-person community conversations. Activities arise and occur on an as-needed basis, as a result of the Committee meetings and identified actions.

13. For conference coordination, is the vendor responsible for creating/facilitating the attendee registration process?

Answer - Yes, the selected bidder will be responsible for creating and facilitating the attendee registration process.

14. For conference coordination, with regards to venue coordination, is the vendor responsible for managing the venue selection and contract negotiation process?

Answer - Yes, the selected bidder will be responsible for all aspects of venue coordination, including managing the venue selection and contract negotiation process.

15. For conference coordination, is the vendor responsible for managing any attendee and/or speaker travel and/or hotel selection/contracting for the conference?

Answer - Yes, the selected bidder will be responsible for managing all aspects of conference coordination, including attendee and/or speaker travel and hotel selection/contracting.

16. We are preparing our proposal and would like to confirm whether out-of-state vendors are permitted to apply.

Answer - All vendors are welcome to submit a bid. You will need to have a State of Delaware business license if awarded a contract to perform the services.

17. If the contractor is responsible for running the https://ahlcoalition.org/ website, what platform is the site running on?

Answer - The contractor will not be responsible for hosting the AHL Coalition website. The Contractor will only be responsible for updating and providing content to be added to the website.

18. What languages were used to build the website?

Answer - The website is currently built in English.

19. What type and volume of web updates do you expect during the course of this contract?

Answer - The website content will need to be updated on an as needed basis. The selected bidder will be responsible for writing and/or coordinating the website content (e.g., member spotlights, blog posts, about us information, meeting minutes, upcoming events, resources, etc.).

20. Is the contractor responsible for writing the content (e.g., member spotlights, etc.)?

Answer - Yes, the selected bidder will be responsible for writing and/or coordinating the website content (e.g., member spotlights, blog posts, about us information, etc.).

21. General: The RFP mentions a payment schedule based on defined and measurable milestones, which seems to indicate that this is a fixed price contract. Please clarify if this is a fixed price contract or time and materials with a not to exceed ceiling.

Answer - There is an option to do fixed price or time and materials with a not to exceed ceiling, which will be discussed during contract negotiations. Regardless, proposed budgets must include hourly rates for project staff and external costs for successful completion of services under each component.

22. Coalition Facilitation: Does the Coalition have standing relationships with venues where the space is donated for the quarterly meetings? Or does the contractor need to include room rental and AV in the $200,000 project budget?

Answer - The Coalition does not have a standing relationship with venues where space is donated for the quarterly meetings. The selected bidder will be responsible for selecting, coordinating, negotiating the contracts, and covering room rental and AV fees, for the selected venue.

23. Please confirm that the “subcommittees” referenced in the RFP are the 6 committees:

Community Engagement, Program Development, Marketing and Communication, Policy, Conference Steering, and Student.

Answer - The subcommittees referenced in the RFP are the 6 committees: Community Engagement, Program Development, Marketing and Communication, Policy, Conference Steering, and Student.

24. Please clarify the frequency of Leadership Team meetings. Please clarify if Leadership Team meetings are in-person or virtual. If in-person, please clarify if contactor must attend all Leadership Team meetings in-person.

Answer - Leadership Team meetings are currently held virtually on an as-needed basis as determined by Leadership Team members, typically quarterly prior to each Coalition quarterly meeting. The selected bidder will be responsible for attending all Leadership Team meetings.

25. Is there an anticipated number of meetings/events that may arise as coalition projects, administrative needs, and action items?

Answer - Additional meetings and events that may arise as Coalition projects, administrative needs, and action items occur on an as needed basis as determined by Coalition membership. In the past year, approximately four additional Coalition projects were completed. Smaller action items and tasks tend to follow each Coalition Committee meeting (i.e., sending resources, connecting individuals, inviting presenters to future meetings, etc.), based on the Committee’s discussion.

26. Conference Facilitation: Has the Delaware State University Martin Luther King, Jr. Conference Center been reserved for the 2026 conference? If so, is the space donated by the university or does the contractor need to budget for meeting room rental?

Answer - The Delaware State University Martin Luther King, Jr. Conference Center has not been reserved for the 2026 conference. The selected bidder will be responsible for managing the venue selection and contract negotiation process, and will be responsible for covering, or soliciting sponsorships to cover, venue rental and AV fees.

27. Does the university cover the AV costs as well or does the contractor need to budget for AV equipment? Should the contractor assume all conference expenses (room rental, AV, food and beverage, nametags, supplies, etc.) are covered by sponsor fees? Or do these items need to come out of the overall $200,000 project budget?

Answer - The selected bidder will be responsible for managing the venue selection and contract negotiation process. The contractor will also be responsible for covering, or soliciting sponsorships to cover, all conference expenses (i.e. room rental, AV, food and beverage, nametags, supplies, etc.). Bidders can assume external marketing and printing expenses can be supported through the Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention Program’s marketing vendor.

28. Please confirm the conference website will be hosted on https://www.healthydelaware.org/ and https://ahlcoalition.org/.

Answer - The Advancing Healthy Lifestyles Conference webpage will be hosted on https://ahlcoalition.org/.

29. Please confirm the contractor will be responsible for providing the text and desired content and the Healthy Delaware and AHL Coalition web teams are responsible for building the actual sites.

Answer - The selected vendor will be responsible only for providing the text and desired content for the AHL Coalition and Conference webpages. The selected bidder will not be responsible for hosting or building the sites.

30. Is the contractor responsible for managing and hosting the https://ahlcoalition.org/ website?

Please confirm Eventbrite is approved for the registration form.

Answer - The selected vendor will be responsible only for providing the text and desired content for the AHL Coalition and Conference webpages. The selected bidder will not be responsible for managing or hosting the AHL Coalition website. The selected bidder will be responsible for managing the Conference registration, and Eventbrite is an approved platform for managing Conference registration.

31. Will the contractor need to identify and recommend a keynote speaker or does the Coalition’s Conference Steering Committee identify a preferred keynote speaker?

https://ahlcoalition.org/ https://ahlcoalition/

Answer - The selected bidder will be responsible for identifying and securing a keynote speaker, with guidance and input from the Coalition’s Conference Steering Committee.

32. Do sponsorships cover the fees for the keynote speaker or are the speaker fees expected to come out of the $200,000 project budget?

Answer - It is the selected bidder’s responsibility to cover, or solicit sponsorships to cover, the keynote speaker and speaker fees. Bidders can assume that a portion of the keynote speaker fee can be supported by PANO’s marketing vendor’s budget.

33. PANO Administrative Support: Is there an anticipated number of PANO administrative support events per year?

Answer - The Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention Program (PANO) anticipates 2- 3 PANO administrative support projects each year.

34. What specific responsibilities does the contractor have in community engagement events, such as town halls?

Answer - The selected contractor will be responsible for planning, organizing, hosting, and facilitating community engagement events and AHL Coalition action items.

35. Is the contractor responsible for venue coordination, agenda development, facilitation, and minutes preparation?

Answer - Yes, the selected bidder will be responsible for venue coordination, agenda development, facilitation, and minutes preparation for all Coalition meetings and subcommittee meetings.

36. Is the contractor responsible for identifying appropriate venues (i.e., library, community center, school, church, firehouse, etc.) for community engagement events?

Answer - Yes, the selected bidder is responsible for identifying and coordinating all aspects related to the venue for community engagement events.

37. Should the contractor assume all community engagement event expenses (room rental, AV, food and beverage, supplies) need to be included in the $200,000 project budget? Or are these covered by sponsorship funds?

Answer - The contractor will also be responsible for covering, or soliciting sponsorships to cover, all conference expenses (i.e. room rental, AV, food and beverage, supplies, etc.). Bidders can assume external marketing and printing expenses can be supported through the Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention Program’s marketing vendor.

38. Is the contractor responsible for public outreach related to community events?

Answer - The selected bidder is responsible for promoting and meeting membership/attendance goals of the Advancing Healthy Lifestyles Coalition and Conference. However, the selected bidder is not expected to represent the Coalition at external community events (i.e. tabling at a health fair).

39. Will the contractor need to conduct research, analysis, or assessments to prepare formal reports or white papers in preparation for the technical projects?

Answer - The contractor may be called upon to provide support regarding information needed for formal reports, white papers, technical projects, and grant proposals that are related to the goals and activities of the Coalition/PANO.

40. What is the status of the Coalition’s six Committees, and what is the cadence of their virtual meetings?

Answer - The Coalition’s six Committees are active. Currently, all Committees meet virtually on a monthly basis, with the exception of the Marketing Committee which meets bi-monthly, and the Conference Steering Committee which meets bi-weekly.

41. Other than supporting facilitation of Coalition and Conference efforts, what are other strategic planning projects included in this RFP?

Answer - Anticipated projects may include planning and hosting focus groups, strategic planning efforts, and/or planning and hosting community townhalls. Projects will be discussed on an as-needed basis and will be aligned with the ongoing and developing needs of the PANO program.

42. To clarify, do all travel, conference, and meeting expenses need to be part of the hourly rates in the proposal?

Answer - All expenses, including personnel, external expenses (travel, conference, and meeting expenses, etc.), and indirect costs, must be included in the proposed budget.

43. Section II. Scope of Services, B. Project Goals: How many attendees do you expect to have during the Annual Conference?

Answer - We anticipate approximately 300 attendees at the annual Advancing Healthy Lifestyles Conference.

44. Section II. Scope of Services, B. Project Goals: Do you currently use a photographer or videographer during your annual conference? If so, would the new vendor have to contract or subcontract one under this RFP?

Answer - The Division of Public Health’s Office of Communications currently serves as the photographer during the annual Advancing Healthy Lifestyles Conference. The selected bidder is not required to contract or subcontract with a photographer or videographer under this RFP.