LAB26001-LFC_rfp.pdf

STATE OF DELAWARE

Delaware Workforce Development Board and the Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Employment & Training

State of Delaware

Learning for Careers (LFC)

Request for Proposal

Contract No. LAB-LFC-26R-001

February 4, 2026

- Deadline to Respond - March 12, 2026

1:00 PM (Local Time)

CONTRACT NO. LAB-LFC-26R-001

Contents:

I. INTRODUCTION

II. SCOPE OF WORK

III. FORMAT FOR PROPOSAL

IV. PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCEDURES

V. MANDATORY PREBID MEETING

VI. DEFINITIONS AND GENERAL PROVISIONS

VII. PROPOSAL REPLY SECTION

ATTACHMENTS

ATTACHMENT 1 - NON-COLLUSION STATEMENT

ATTACHMENT 2 - EXCEPTIONS FORM

ATTACHMENT 3 - CONFIDENTIALITY FORM

ATTACHMENT 4 - BUSINESS REFERENCE

ATTACHMENT 5 - SUBCONTRACTOR INFORMATION SHEET

ATTACHMENT 6 - MONTHLY USAGE REPORT

ATTACHMENT 7 - SUBCONTRACTOR 2ND TIER QUARTERLY REPORT

ATTACHMENT 8 - OFFICE OF SUPPLIER DIVERSITY

ATTACHMENT 9 - PROPOSAL REPLY REQUIREMENTS

APPENDIXES

APPENDIX A - MINIMUM CRITERIA FOR SUBMISSION

APPENDIX B - STATEMENT OF WORK & TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

APPENDIX C – PROPOSAL SUBMISSION TEMPLATE

APPENDIX D – BUDGET

APPENDIX E - HIGH DEMAND OCCUPATION LIST

In order for your proposal to be considered, the Proposal Reply Section shall be executed completely and correctly and returned by email by March 12, 2026 at 1:00 PM (Local Time) to be considered.

Proposals must be emailed to:

Email Address: DWDBDETContracting@Delaware.gov

Subject Line: “BID ENCLOSED: LAB-LFC-26R-001, PROVIDER NAME, LFC Submission”

Please review and follow the information and instructions contained in the General Provisions and this Request for Proposal (RFP). Should you need additional information, please call Procurement Officer John Quick at DWDBDETContracting@Delaware.gov mailto:DWDBDETContracting@Delaware.gov mailto:DWDBDETContracting@Delaware.gov

I. INTRODUCTION

A. PURPOSE

The purpose of this Request for Proposal is to obtain sealed proposals to describe the material and/or non-professional service being sought. It is the goal of this Request for Proposal to identify a vendor(s) and execute a contract to organizations with the expertise and demonstrated capacity to provide high quality occupational skills training and/or workforce preparation programs for adult career entrants or adult career changers. Programs will support the attainment of the Performance Measures identified. This request for proposal (RFP) is issued pursuant to 29 DEL. C. §§ 6981 and 6982.

1. COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSAL

It has been determined by The Delaware Workforce Development Board (DWDB) in partnership with the Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Employment & Training (DOL), pursuant to Delaware Code Title 29, Chapter 6924 (a) that this solicitation be offered as a request for competitive sealed proposals because the use of competitive sealed bidding is not practical and/or not in the best interest of the State. The use of competitive sealed proposals is necessary to:

• Use a contract other than a fixed-price type; or

• Conduct oral or written discussions with vendors concerning technical and price aspects of their proposals;

or

• Afford vendors an opportunity to revise their proposals through best and final offers; or

• Compare the different price, quality and contractual factors of the proposals submitted; or

• Award a contract in which price is not the determining factor.

2. CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

This contract will be issued with a basic description of contract requirements.

3. AGENCY USE CONTRACT

Pursuant to 29 Del. C. § 6904(e) respectively, if no state contract exists for a certain good or service, covered agencies may procure that certain good or service under another agency's contract so long as the arrangement is agreeable to all parties. Agencies, other than covered agencies, may also procure such goods or services under another agency's contract when the arrangement is agreeable to all parties.

4. MULTIPLE SOURCE AWARD

The Agency reserves the right to award this contract to more than one vendor pursuant to 29 Del. C. § 6926.

5. POTENTIAL CONTRACT OVERLAP

Vendors shall be advised that the State, at its sole discretion, shall retain the right to solicit for goods and/or services as required by its agencies and as it serves the best interest of the State. As needs are identified, there may exist instances where contract deliverables, and/or goods or services to be solicited and subsequently awarded, overlap previous awards. The State reserves the right to reject any or all bids in whole or in part, to make partial awards, to award to multiple vendors during the same period, to award by types, on a zone-by-zone basis or on an item-by-item or lump sum basis item by item, or lump sum total, whichever may be most advantageous to the State of Delaware.

6. SUPPLEMENTAL SOLICITATION

The State reserves the right to advertise a supplemental solicitation during the term of the Agreement if deemed in the best interest of the State.

http://delcode.delaware.gov/title29/c069/sc01/index.shtml http://delcode.delaware.gov/title29/c069/sc03/index.shtml#6926

7. CONTRACT PERIOD

Each Vendor’s contract shall be valid for one (1) year 7/1/2026 to 6/30/2027. Each contract may be renewed for four (4) one (1) year periods through negotiation between the Vendor and The Delaware Workforce Development Board (DWDB) and the Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Employment & Training. Negotiation may be initiated no later than ninety (90) days prior to the termination of the current agreement.

The State reserves the right to extend this contract on a month-to-month basis for a period of up to three months after the term of the full contract has been completed.

B. KEY RFP DATES/MILESTONES

The following dates and milestones apply to this RFP and subsequent contract award. Vendors are advised that these dates and milestones are not absolute and may change due to unplanned events during the bid proposal and award process.

Activity Due Date

RFP Availability to Vendors February 4, 2026 Mandatory Pre-bid Conference February 19, 2026, at 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Written Questions Due No Later Than (NLT) February 24, 2026 Written Answers Due/Posted to Website NLT March 2, 2026 Proposals Due NLT March 12, 2026, at 1:00 p.m.

Proposal Evaluation April 1, 2026 Oral Clarification, as required April 2, 2026 Contract Award Will occur within 90 days of bid opening

C. INQUIRIES & QUESTIONS

We welcome your interest in working with us, and we will be pleased to answer any questions you may have in formulating your response to this Request for Proposal.

All questions with regard to the interpretation of this solicitation, drawings, or specifications, or any other aspect of this RFP must be received in writing by February 24, 2026 questions are due. All questions will be answered in writing by March 2, 2026 Responses will be Posted and posted on https://bids.delaware.gov/ website. All questions must make specific reference to the section(s) and page numbers from this RFP where applicable. Oral explanations or instructions will not be binding.

D. RFP DESIGNATED CONTACT

All requests, questions, or other communications about this RFP shall be made in writing to the State of Delaware. Address all communications to the person listed below; communications made to other State of Delaware personnel or attempting to ask questions by phone or in person will not be allowed or recognized as valid and may disqualify the vendor. Vendors should rely only on written statements issued by the RFP designated contact.

NAME: John Quick DEPARTMENT: Delaware Workforce Development Board EMAIL ADDRESS: DWDBDETContracting@delaware.gov

To ensure that written requests are received and answered in a timely manner, electronic mail (e-mail) correspondence is acceptable, but other forms of delivery, such as postal and courier services can also be used.

https://bids.delaware.gov/

II. SCOPE OF WORK

1. OVERVIEW

The Vendor(s) shall provide all equipment, materials and labor to supplement the State of Delaware’s need for Learning for Careers as described herein. The contract will require the Vendor(s) to cooperate with the ordering agency to insure the State receives the most current state-of-the-art material and/or services.

2. BACKGROUND

The Delaware Workforce Development Board (DWDB) in partnership with the Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Employment & Training (DOL) solicits organizations eligible applicants to apply for funds that will support services to directly engage Delaware’s business community and learners in activities that result in the creation or expansion of paid work experiences for youth and adult learners in Delaware. Career awareness, exploration, and paid work experiences must focus on middle and high skill, demand, and wage occupations as defined by the Delaware Department of Labor. The source of funds for this solicitation are State of Delaware General Funds.

The purpose of LFC investments is to expand employer participation in student education, training, and employment programs that lead to an increase in the number of:

A. Youth served through summer youth employment or other DOL funded programs; or B. Secondary students participating in experiential work-based learning awareness, exploration, and immersion (e.g., internship, clinical, school-based enterprise, registered youth apprenticeship) activities;

or

C. Post-secondary students participating in work-based learning and/or clinical/experiential learning programs.

D. Strengthen employer-led efforts to recruit youth (ages 14 to 24) into the workforce and/or to expand the capacity of employers to offer clinical, internship, apprenticeship, work-based learning immersion, or other types of cooperative education programs.

This request for proposals (“RFP”) is issued pursuant to 29 Del. C. §§ 6981 and 6982.

3. STATEMENT OF NEEDS

A. The Delaware Workforce Development Board (“DWDB”) in partnership with Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Employment and Training (“DOL”) and Delaware Department of Education, (“DOE”) (collectively “Delaware”) invites eligible applicants to propose services and request funding to engage Delaware’s business community in a planning process that results in the creation or expansion of paid work experiences for youth and adult learners in Delaware. The purpose of the investments that result from this RFP is to increase employer participation in student education, training, and employment programs that leads to an increase in the number of:

a. Youth served through summer youth employment or other DOL funded programs; or

b. Secondary school students participating in work-based learning and/or co-operative education programs; or

c. Postsecondary students participating in work-based learning and/or clinical/experiential learning programs.

d. Strengthen employer-led efforts to recruit youth (ages 14 to 24) into the workforce and/or to expand the capacity of employers to offer clinical, internship, apprenticeship, or other types of cooperative education programs.

B. A Lead Provider (“Provider”) must submit proposal on behalf of an Applicant Group. Applicant Groups must include at least three employers who agree to participate in the planning process and provide work-based learning experiences. Other entities such as community-based organizations, post-secondary institutions, government, regional or local economic development entities, labor unions, local education agency, industry associations, philanthropic organizations, other education and training providers and other relevant partners are strongly encouraged to be part of the Applicant Group. Additional points can be awarded to those whose proposal that contains at least one Local Education Agency or Postsecondary Program and/or at least four (4) employers. See section (VI.)(C)(iv) The Lead Provider is the entity designated by the Applicant Group to serve as the Fiscal Agent for the partnership. The Lead Provider is the responsible entity for meeting all requirements. A Lead Provider can be anyone of the following:

a) Employer/Industry Association

b) Employer Chamber

c) Employer Group

d) State Agency acting on behalf of a group of employers

e) Labor Union

f) Employer Intermediary/Agent working on behalf of a group of employers

An organization can serve on multiple Groups but can only serve as the Lead Provider on one submission.

C. Responses to this RFP should prioritize the following goals:

i. Address business’ pipeline/workforce needs by creating and/or expand their use of paid work experiences for students participating in summer youth employment programs or other DOL funded programs included in the definition of Employment and Training Providers, secondary school work-based learning, and postsecondary work-based learning, apprenticeship and clinical/experiential learning programs; and

ii. Address the needs of students to explore career interests, contextualize learning/education, and/or gain professional and occupational skills.

D. Proposals must include how the applicant group will participate in student education, training, and employment programs thus increasing the number of students who receive a paid work experience through summer youth employment programs or other DOL funded programs included in the definition of Employment and Training Providers, secondary school work-based learning activities, and postsecondary work-based learning and clinical/experiential learning programs. Proposals must include the use of paid work experiences, job shadowing, or other work-based learning models to engage participants with local employers.

E. Provider(s) will provide the services proposed in their proposal with any modifications that are mutually agreed upon and specified in a resulting agreement.

F. Providers can target specific populations and should identify them in their proposal(s), but at a minimum, the population served will be:

• No younger than 14 and no older than 24 at the time of enrollment;

• Eligible to work in the United States;

• Delaware Resident.

G. Programs must be implemented in partnership or coordination with at least one Local Education Agency or Postsecondary Program.

H. Provider(s) will be responsible for utilizing or conducting assessments to determine participant’s likelihood for success in proposed program. This can include academic, career interests, and service needs. This includes the Student Success Plan completed in Delaware’s secondary schools.

I. Provider(s) will enter required data into the Delaware JobLink system (https://joblink.delaware.gov) for participant tracking and outcome reporting. Program budgets, when submitted, should reflect staffing to complete this task.

J. Provider(s) will utilize Delaware JobLink to maximize participants’ job search and placement, if applicable.

At a minimum, participants will create a Jobseeker account in Delaware JobLink (DJL) (https://joblink.delaware.gov).

K. Funds will be provided on a cost reimbursement basis. Monthly financial reports will trigger payments.

Delaware will require a line-item budget as part of the proposal. The approved budget will be incorporated into the executed contract.

L. Provider(s) will be required to submit monthly financial reports on the form prescribed, satisfactorily completed, within twelve (12) calendar days of the close of the reporting period to Delaware. When requesting reimbursement through the submission of the monthly financial report, all reported expenditures must be in accordance with the approved budgeted attached to the resulting agreement and the Provider shall have detailed supporting documentation for all expenditures.

M. No payments for services be made in advance of the work performed.

N. Budgets that include tuition may be allowed when documentation of the following conditions is provided:

tuition charges or entrance fees are not more than the education institution’s catalog price, are necessary to receive specific training, and the training is open to and attended by the general public. When requesting reimbursement for tuition, Private Business and Trade Schools must comply with the Department of Education Private Business and Trade Schools Refund policy.

O. Funds shall be used to implement Learning For Careers Programs. This includes programming, training, paid work experiences to participants and may include items such as (see line-item budget in Appendix D):

• Staff salary and fringe

• Assessments

• Certifications

• Tuition

• Employer Training

• Participant Training

• Participant Wages

• Participant Fringes

• Supportive Services to participants

• Training/Learning Materials

• Space

4. DETAILED REQUIREMENTS

The technical requirements of this RFP are stated in Appendix B. Vendors must provide pricing for the items listed in the Excel Spreadsheet, Appendix D.

III. FORMAT FOR PROPOSAL

1. INTRODUCTION

This section prescribes the mandatory format for the presentation of a proposal in response to this RFP. Each Vendor must provide every component listed in the order shown in this RFP, using the format prescribed for each component.

A proposal may be rejected if it is incomplete or conditional.

2. PROPOSAL RESPONSE

The Request for Proposal may contain pre-printed forms for use by the vendor in submitting its proposal. The forms required by this solicitation shall be considered mandatory, prevailing documents.

When preprinted forms are used, the forms shall contain basic information such as description of the item and the estimated quantities and shall have blank spaces for use by the vendor for entering information such as unit bid price, total bid price, as applicable.

If items are listed with a zero quantity, Vendor shall state unit price ONLY (intended for open end purchases where estimated requirements are not known). The proposal shall show a total bid price for each item bid and the total bid price of the proposal excluding zero quantity items.

Vendors’ proposal must respond to each and every requirement outlined in the RFP criteria in order to be considered responsive. Proposals must be clear and concise.

3. NON-CONFORMING PROPOSALS

Non-conforming proposals will not be considered. Non-conforming proposals are defined as those that do not meet the requirements of this RFP. The determination of whether an RFP requirement is substantive or a mere formality shall reside solely within the State of Delaware.

4. CONCISE PROPOSALS

The State of Delaware discourages overly lengthy and costly proposals. It is the desire that proposals be prepared in a straightforward and concise manner. Unnecessarily elaborate brochures or other promotional materials beyond those sufficient to present a complete and effective proposal are not desired. The State of Delaware’s interest is in the quality and responsiveness of the proposal.

5. COVER LETTER

Each proposal will have a cover letter on the letterhead of the company or organization submitting the proposal. The cover letter must briefly summarize the Vendor's ability to provide the services specified in the RFP. The cover letter shall be signed by a representative who has the legal capacity to enter the organization into a formal contract with Delaware Workforce Development Board and the Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Employment & Training.

6. TABLE OF CONTENTS

Each proposal must include a Table of Contents with page numbers for each of the required components of the proposal.

7. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES AND QUALIFICATIONS

Each proposal must contain a detailed description of how the Vendor will provide the goods and services outlined in this RFP. This part of the proposal may also include descriptions of any enhancements or additional services or qualifications the Vendor will provide that are not mentioned in this RFP.

8. SAMPLES OR BROCHURES

Samples or brochures may be required by the agency for evaluation purposes. They shall be such as to permit the

Agency to compare and determine if the item offered complies with the intent of the specifications.

9. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING OF TERMS

By submitting a bid, each Vendor shall be deemed to acknowledge that it has carefully read all sections of this RFP, including all forms, schedules and exhibits hereto, and has fully informed itself as to all existing conditions and limitations.

10. NUMBER OF COPIES WITH MAILING OF PROPOSAL

All proposals must be submitted via email to the email address provided prior to the submission deadline. No other submission types will be accepted.

11. PROPOSAL EXPIRATION DATE

Prices quoted in the proposal shall remain fixed and binding on the bidder at least through June 30, 2027. Delaware reserves the right to ask for an extension of time if needed.

12. WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSALS

A Vendor may withdraw its proposal unopened after it has been deposited, if such a request is made prior to the time set for the opening of the proposal.

13. PROPOSAL MODIFICATIONS

Any changes, amendments or modifications to a submitted proposal requires that the original proposal be withdrawn, prior to the time set for the submission of the proposal, and a new proposal submitted prior to the deadline for submission of proposals.

Changes, amendments or modifications to proposals shall not be accepted or considered after the hour and date specified as the deadline for submission of proposals.

14. LATE PROPOSALS

Proposals received after the specified date and time will not be accepted or considered.

15. ADDENDA TO THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

If it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP, revisions will be posted at https://bids.delaware.gov/ . By submitting an offer to the State, vendors have acknowledged receipt, understanding and commitment to comply with all materials, revisions, and addenda related to the Request for Proposal.

16. INCURRED EXPENSES

The State will not be responsible for any expenses incurred by the vendor in preparing and submitting a proposal.

17. ECONOMY OF PREPARATION

Proposals should be prepared simply and economically, providing a straight-forward, concise description of the

Vendor’s offer to meet the requirements of the RFP.

18. DISCREPANCIES AND OMISSIONS

Vendor is fully responsible for the completeness and accuracy of their proposal, and for examining this RFP and all addenda. Failure to do so will be at the sole risk of vendor. Should vendor find discrepancies, omissions, unclear or ambiguous intent or meaning, or should any questions arise concerning this RFP, vendor shall notify the State of Delaware’s Designated Contact, in writing, of such findings at least ten (10) days before the proposal opening. This will allow issuance of any necessary addenda. It will also help prevent the opening of a defective proposal and exposure of vendor’s proposal upon which award could not be made. All unresolved issues should be addressed in the proposal.

Protests based on any omission or error, or on the content of the solicitation, will be disallowed if these faults have not been brought to the attention of the Designated Contact, in writing, no later than ten (10) calendar days prior to the time set for opening of the proposals.

19. EXCEPTIONS

Bidders may elect to take minor exception to the terms and conditions of this RFP by completing Attachment 2.

Delaware Workforce Development Board shall evaluate each exception according to the intent of the terms and conditions contained herein, but Delaware Workforce Development Board and the Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Employment and Training must reject exceptions that do not conform to State bid law and/or create inequality in the treatment of bidders. Exceptions shall be considered only if they are submitted with the bid or before the date and time of the bid opening.

Exceptions must be submitted utilizing Attachment 2 to be considered. Exceptions listed elsewhere in the Vendor’s proposal will not be considered. Enter Agency Name maintains sole discretion to reject any vendor exceptions that are submitted.

20. BUSINESS REFERENCES

Provide at least three (3) business references consisting of current or previous customers of similar scope and value using Attachment 4. Include business name, mailing address, contact name and phone number, number of years doing business with, and type of work performed. Personal references cannot be considered.

https://bids.delaware.gov/

21. SUBCONTRACTS

Subcontracting is permitted under this RFP and contract. However, every subcontractor shall be identified in the

Proposal using Attachment 5.

22. CONFIDENTIALITY

Subject to applicable law or the order of a court of competent jurisdiction to the contrary, all documents submitted as part of the vendor’s proposal will be treated as confidential during the evaluation process. As such, vendor proposals will not be available for review by anyone other than the State of Delaware/Proposal Evaluation Team or its designated agents. There shall be no disclosure of any vendor’s information until a fully executed contract is received unless such disclosure is required by law or by order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

The State of Delaware and its constituent agencies are required to comply with the State of Delaware Freedom of Information Act, 29 Del. C. § 10001, et seq. (“FOIA”). FOIA requires that the State of Delaware’s records are public records (unless otherwise declared by FOIA or other law to be exempt from disclosure) and are subject to inspection and copying by any person upon a written request. Once fully executed contracts are received, the contents of all vendor proposals are subject to FOIA’s public disclosure obligations and exemptions.

The State of Delaware wishes to create a business-friendly environment and procurement process. As such, the State respects the vendor community’s desire to protect its intellectual property, trade secrets, and confidential business information (collectively referred to herein as “confidential business information”). Proposals must contain sufficient information to be evaluated. If a vendor feels that they cannot submit their proposal without including confidential business information, they must adhere to the following procedure or their proposal may be deemed unresponsive, may not be recommended for selection, and any applicable protection for the vendor’s confidential business information may be lost.

In order to allow the State to assess its ability to protect a vendor’s confidential business information, vendors will be permitted to designate appropriate portions of their proposal as confidential business information.

Vendor(s) may submit portions of a proposal considered to be confidential business information in a separate, sealed envelope labeled “Confidential Business Information” and include the specific RFP number. The envelope must contain a letter from the Vendor’s legal counsel describing the documents in the envelope, representing in good faith that the information in each document is not “public record” as defined by 29 Del. C. § 10002, and briefly stating the reasons that each document meets the said definitions.

Upon receipt of a proposal accompanied by such a separate, sealed envelope, the State of Delaware will open the envelope to determine whether the procedure described above has been followed. A vendor’s allegation as to its confidential business information shall not be binding on the State. The State shall independently determine the validity of any vendor designation as set forth in this section. Any vendor submitting a proposal or using the procedures discussed herein expressly accepts the State’s absolute right and duty to independently assess the legal and factual validity of any information designated as confidential business information. Accordingly, Vendor(s) assume the risk that confidential business information included within a proposal may enter the public domain.

IV. PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCEDURES

1. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

A. STATE’S RIGHT TO REJECT PROPOSALS

Enter Agency Name reserves the right to reject any or all proposals in whole or in part, to make multiple awards, partial awards, award by types, item by item, or lump sum total, whichever is determined to be the most advantageous to the State of Delaware. Vendors submitting proposals may be afforded an opportunity for discussion. Vendors may be requested to provide a best and final offer during the negotiation process. Negotiations http://delcode.delaware.gov/title29/c100/index.shtml may be conducted with responsible Vendors who submit proposals found to be reasonably likely to be selected for award. The contents of any proposal shall not be disclosed so as to be available to competing vendors during the negotiation process.

B. STATE’S RIGHT TO CANCEL SOLICITATION

The State of Delaware reserves the right to cancel this solicitation at any time during the procurement process, for any reason or for no reason. The State of Delaware makes no commitments expressed or implied, that this process will result in a business transaction with any vendor.

This RFP does not constitute an offer by the State of Delaware. Vendor’s participation in this process may result in the State of Delaware selecting your organization to engage in further discussions and negotiations toward execution of a contract. The commencement of such negotiations does not, however, signify a commitment by the State of Delaware to execute a contract nor to continue negotiations. The State of Delaware may terminate negotiations at any time and for any reason, or for no reason.

C. DELIVERY OF PROPOSALS

Each proposal must be submitted with all electronic copies and the proposal checklist confirming the items submitted. All proposals are to be submitted and received no later than 1:00PM (EST) on March 12, 2026. The proposals must be delivered by email to the following contact email address:

DWDBDETContracting@Delaware.gov and in the subject line contain: “BID ENCLOSED: LAB-LFC- 26R-001, PROVIDER NAME, LFC Submission”

Any proposal received after the Deadline for Receipt of Proposals date and time shall not be considered and shall not be reviewed. The proposing vendor bears the risk of delays in delivery and any costs. The contents of any proposal shall not be disclosed as to be made available to competing entities during the negotiation process. Upon receipt of vendor proposals, each vendor shall be presumed to be thoroughly familiar with all specifications and requirements of this RFP. The failure or omission to examine any form, instrument or document shall in no way relieve vendors from any obligation in respect to this RFP.

D. PUBLIC OPENING OF PROPOSALS

There will be no public opening of proposals, but a public log will be kept of the names of all vendor organizations that submitted proposals. The contents of any proposal shall not be disclosed in accordance with Executive Order #31 and Title 29, Delaware Code, Chapter 100. Any unopened proposals will be returned to the submitting vendor.

E. AUTHORITY OF AGENCY

On all questions concerning the interpretation of specifications, the acceptability and quality of material furnished and/or work performed, the classification of material, the execution of the work, and the determination of payment due or to become due, the decision of the Agency shall be final and binding.

2. PROPOSAL EVALUATION COMMITTEE

The Proposal Evaluation Committee (“Committee”) is comprised of representatives of the State of Delaware.

The Proposal Evaluation Committee shall be comprised of at least three (3) members. The Committee must have at least one (1) DWDB board member. Other members will include subject matter experts (determined by the DWDB staff), Department of Labor, those that represent the target population (identified in WIOA section 3(24) as well as veterans and other targeted populations at the DWDB’s discretion). A DWDB member will chair the Committee.

Committee members will remain on the same panel for the entire life of the process. The Committee shall determine which vendors meet the minimum requirements pursuant to selection criteria of the RFP and procedures established in 29 Del. C. §§ 6981 and 6982. Professional services for this solicitation are considered under 29 Del. C. § 6982(b). The Committee may negotiate with one or more vendors during the same period and may, at its discretion, terminate negotiations with any or all vendors. The Committee shall make a recommendation regarding the award to the DWDB Executive Director and the DET Director, who shall have final authority, subject to the provisions of this RFP and 29 Del. C. § 6982(b), to award a contract to the successful vendor in the best interests of the State of Delaware.

Delaware Reserves the right to respond to submitted proposals and create or remove Evaluation Team(s) as Delaware sees fit.

The Committee reserves the right to:

• Select for contract or for negotiations a proposal other than that with lowest costs.

• Reject any and all proposals or portions of proposals received in response to this RFP or to make no award or issue a new RFP.

• Waive or modify any information, irregularity, or inconsistency in proposals received.

• Request modification to proposals from any or all vendors during the contract review and negotiation.

• Negotiate any aspect of the proposal with any vendor and negotiate with more than one vendor at the same time.

• Select more than one vendor pursuant to 29 Del. C. § 6926. Such selection will be based on the following criteria:

NOTE: If agency does not intend to multi-source, this can be removed

The Delaware Workforce Development Board and the Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Employment & Training reserves the right to reject any or all bids in whole or in part, to make multiple awards, partial awards, award by types, item by item, or lump sum total, whichever may be most advantageous to the State of Delaware.

3. REQUIREMENTS OF THE VENDOR

The purpose of this section is to assist the Proposal Evaluation Committee to determine the ability of the organization to provide the materials and services described in the application. The proposal response should contain at a minimum the following information:

a. General Information

a. Geographical Location

b. Demonstrated Ability

a. Experience and Reputation

b. Capacity to meet requirements (Size, financial condition, etc.)

c. Expertise

c. Program Design

a. Delivery Strategy

d. Outcome Placement

a. Partnerships

e. Cost/Budget

4. CRITERIA AND SCORING

EVALUATION CRITERIA POINTS

Demonstrated Ability:

• Proposal demonstrates that the plan was developed with input from the appropriate stakeholders, primarily employers who employ occupation(s) identified in demand occupations found at https://de.gov/dwdbindemand and/or graduates from the identified Department of Education Career and Technical Education state model program of study found at https://www.delawarepathways.org.

• Provider demonstrates the ability to operate high quality programs that resulted in high placement in work based learning experiences.

Program Design:

• Proposal is well defined

• Program shows how employers are engaged and partnerships are established

• Proposal demonstrates strong employer partnership for placement opportunities

Student selection/outreach

• End state for both the student and the employer Program has strong connection to a LEA

• Delivery and recruitment strategy

Outcome Placement:

• Defined/established feedback mechanism on impact of program

• Thoughtful outcomes (both qualitative and quantitative)

• Provider demonstrates the ability to prepare participants for employment.

• Provider demonstrates the ability to place students in meaningful work-based learning experiences.

• Provider demonstrates ability to prepare and educate youth on the variety of post-secondary options including bringing awareness to career and training job opportunities through the American Job Centers.

Cost/Budget

• Costs are reasonable and competitive as compared to other similar programs

• Costs will be reviewed as a cost per participant and cost per proposed hour trained

• Sustainability Plan in place

• % of request versus overall budget

• Provider uses leverage resources and braids funding from multiple resources.

TOTAL SCORE 100

Procurement Evaluation Committee members will assign up to the maximum number of points listed for each of the criteria listed above. For items having quantitative answers, points will be proportionate to each proposal’s response.

Items with qualitative answers will receive the average of points assigned by Proposal Evaluation Committee members.

5. BEST AND FINAL OFFERS

Once the proposals have been evaluated and negotiations have been held with the vendor(s) determined to be likely to receive an award, the Procurement Evaluation Committee issue a request for Best and Final Offers from the vendor(s).

6. REFERENCES

The Committee may contact any customer of the vendor, whether or not included in the vendor’s reference list, and use such information in the evaluation process. Additionally, the State of Delaware may choose to visit existing installations of comparable systems, which may or may not include vendor personnel. If the vendor is involved in such site visits, the State of Delaware will pay travel costs only for State of Delaware personnel for these visits.

http://www.delawarepathways.org/

V. MANDATORY PREBID MEETING

A mandatory pre-bid meeting has been scheduled for February 19, 2026 at 1:00 – 2:00p.m. This is a mandatory meeting.

If a Vendor does not attend this meeting, they shall be disqualified and shall not be considered for further evaluation.

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ODc0NWY4ZTgtOTc0ZC00MGRiLTkxOWMtOTU2ZDM2ZmE4MmM0%40thread.v2/0?context =%7b%22Tid%22%3a%228c09e569-51c5-4dee-abb2-8b99c32a4396%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%229295ce0d-da36- 474e-a9d3-85862f60fac4%22%7d

VI. DEFINITIONS AND GENERAL PROVISIONS

The attached Definitions and General Provisions apply to all contracts and are part of each Request for Proposal. The requirement to furnish a bid bond and performance bond is applicable unless waived. Should the General Provisions conflict with the Special Provisions, the Special Provisions shall prevail. Vendors or their authorized representatives are required to fully acquaint themselves as to State procurement laws and regulations prior to submitting bid.

A. DEFINITIONS:

Whenever the following terms are used, their intent and meaning shall be interpreted as follows:

STATE: The State of Delaware

AGENCY: State Agency as noted on cover sheet.

BID INVITATION: The "invitation to bid" or “Request for Proposal” is a packet of material sent to vendors and consists of General Provisions, Special Provisions, specifications, and enclosures.

BOND: The approved form of security furnished by the Vendors and its surety as a guaranty of good faith on the part of the Vendor to execute the work in accordance with the terms of the contract.

CONTRACT: The written agreement covering the furnishing and delivery of material or work to be performed.

DESIGNATED OFFICIAL: The agent authorized to act for an Agency.

GENERAL PROVISIONS: General Provisions are instructions pertaining to contracts in general. They contain, in summary, requirements of laws of the State, policies of the Agency, and instructions to vendors.

LOCAL TIME: Eastern Standard Time/Eastern Daylight Time

OPPORTUNITY BUY: A special offer from a supplier that is usually associated with a limited time to respond.

PROPOSAL: The offer of the Vendor submitted on the approved form and setting forth the Vendor's prices for performing the work or supplying the material or equipment described in the specifications.

RFP: Request for Proposal.

SPECIAL PROVISIONS: Special Provisions are specific conditions or requirements peculiar to the contract under consideration and are supplemental to the General Provisions. Should the Special Provisions conflict with the General Provisions, the Special Provisions shall prevail.

SURETY: The corporate body which is bound with and for the contract, or which is liable, and which engages to be responsible for the Vendor's payments of all debts pertaining to and for its acceptable performance of the work for which he has contracted

VENDOR: Any individual, firm, or corporation formally submitting a proposal for the material or work contemplated, acting directly or through a duly authorized representative.

VENDOR'S DEPOSIT: The security designated in the proposal to be furnished by the Vendor as a guaranty of good faith to enter into a contract with the Agency if the work to be performed or the material or equipment to be furnished is awarded to it.

B. GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. INTERPRETATION OF ESTIMATES/QUANTITIES

a. Unless stated otherwise, the quantities given in the RFP are to be considered to be approximate only and are given as a basis for the comparison of bids. The Agency may increase or decrease the amount of any item as may be deemed necessary or expedient, during the period of the contract. Bidders shall recognize there are no guaranteed minimum contract quantities or values associated with this solicitation.

b. An increase or decrease in the quantity for any item is not sufficient ground for an increase or decrease in the unit price.

c. Prior contract utilization may be viewed on the Delaware Open Data Portal https://data.delaware.gov/. The Government and Finance data sets provide Central Contract Line Item Spend by Fiscal Year among several additional data products. Past usage shall not be considered a guaranteed future volume.

2. SILENCE OF SPECIFICATIONS

The apparent silence of the specifications as to any detail, or the apparent omission from it of detailed description concerning any point, shall be regarded as meaning that only the best commercial practice is to prevail and only material and workmanship of the first quality are to be used. Proof of specifications compliance will be the responsibility of the vendor.

3. EXAMINATION OF SPECIFICATIONS AND PROVISIONS

The Vendor shall examine carefully the proposal and the contract forms for the material contemplated. The Vendor shall investigate and satisfy itself as to the conditions to be encountered, quality and quantities of the material to be furnished, and the requirements of any Special Provisions in the RFP and the contract. The submission of a proposal shall be conclusive evidence that the Vendor has made examination of the aforementioned conditions.

4. PRICES QUOTED

The prices quoted are those for which the material will be furnished F.O.B. Ordering Agency and include all charges that may be imposed during the period of the contract. All prices quoted must be in U.S. Dollars.

All vendors that maintain a core list of products under this contract shall maintain the appropriate negotiated prices on their core list. Vendors shall routinely offer to add to the core list materiel that has been identified as necessary.

The Vendors are expected to routinely update any changes to the core list with the appropriate discounts listed.

Any adjustments to a core list must receive prior written approval from the State before a core list can be changed by the Vendor. Changes include but are not limited to the migration of items on and off the core list as well as any price adjustments from the original agreed upon pricing.

5. PUBLIC INSPECTION OF PROPOSALS

All documents submitted as part of the vendor’s proposal will be deemed confidential during the evaluation process.

Vendor proposals will not be available for review by anyone other than the State of Delaware/Proposal Evaluation https://data.delaware.gov/

Committee or its designated agents. There shall be no disclosure of any vendor’s information to a competing vendor prior to award of the contract.

The State of Delaware is a public agency as defined by state law, and as such, it is subject to the Delaware Freedom of Information Act, 29 Del. C. Ch. 100. Under the law, all the State of Delaware’s records are public records (unless otherwise declared by law to be confidential) and are subject to inspection and copying by any person. Vendor(s) are advised that once a proposal is received by the State of Delaware and a decision on contract award is made, its contents will become public record and nothing contained in the proposal will be deemed to be confidential except proprietary information.

Vendor(s) shall not include any information in their proposal that is proprietary in nature or that they would not want to be released to the public. Proposals must contain sufficient information to be evaluated and a contract written without reference to any proprietary information. If a vendor feels that they cannot submit their proposal without including proprietary information, they must adhere to the following procedure or their proposal may be deemed unresponsive and will not be recommended for selection. Vendor(s) must submit such information in a separate, Email labeled “Proprietary Information” with the RFP number. The Email must contain a letter from the Vendor’s legal counsel describing the documents in the Email, representing in good faith that the information in each document is not “public record” as defined by 29 Del. C. § 10002(d), and briefly stating the reasons that each document meets the said definitions

6. LAWS TO BE OBSERVED

The vendor is presumed to know and shall strictly comply with all Federal, State, or County laws, and City or Town ordinances and regulations in any manner affecting the conduct of the work. The Vendor shall indemnify and save harmless the State of Delaware, the Agency, and all Officers, Agency and Servants thereof against any claim or liability arising from or based upon the violation of any such laws, ordinances, regulations, orders, or decrees whether by itself, by its employees, or by its subcontractor (s).

7. APPLICABLE LAW AND JURISDICTION

This bid, any resulting contract, and any and all litigation or other disputes arising therefrom, in connection with, or related hereto shall be governed by the applicable laws, regulations and rules of evidence of the State of Delaware. Bidder submits to personal jurisdiction in the State of Delaware. Any and all litigation or other disputes arising out of, in connection with, or relating to this bid, and any resulting contract, shall be brought exclusively in a court in the State of Delaware or the United States District Court of the District of Delaware as applicable.

8. SEVERABILITY

If any term or provision of this Agreement is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal or otherwise unenforceable, the same shall not affect the other terms or provisions hereof or the whole of this Agreement, but such term or provision shall be deemed modified to the extent necessary in the court's opinion to render such term or provision enforceable, and the rights and obligations of the parties shall be construed and enforced accordingly, preserving to the fullest permissible extent the intent and agreements of the parties herein set forth.

9. PERMITS AND LICENSES

All necessary permits, licenses, insurance policies, etc. required by local, State or Federal laws, shall be provided by the Vendor at its own expense.

10. PATENTED DEVICES, MATERIAL AND PROCESSES

a. The Vendor shall provide for the use of any patented design, device, material, or process to be used or furnished under this contract by suitable legal agreement with the patentee or owner, and shall file a copy of this agreement with the Agency.

b. The Vendor and the surety shall hold and save harmless the State of Delaware, the Agency, the Director, their

Officers or Agents from any and all claims because of the use of such patented design, device, material, or process in connection with the work agreed to be performed under this contract.

11. EMERGENCY TERMINATION OF CONTRACT

a. Due to restrictions which may be established by the United States Government on material, or work, a contract may be terminated by the cancellation of all or portions of the contract.

b. In the event the Vendor is unable to obtain the material required to complete the items of work included in the contract because of restrictions established by the United States Government and if, in the opinion of the Agency, it is impractical to substitute other available material, or the work cannot be completed within a reasonable time, the incomplete portions of the work may be cancelled, or the contract may be terminated.

12. TAX EXEMPTION

a. In accordance with the Internal Revenue Service regulations, the State of Delaware is generally exempt from federal excise tax for communications, certain fuels, sales by manufacturers and the tax on heavy trucks, trailers, and tractors. More detail is included in IRS Publication 510 Excise Taxes located at https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p510.pdf. Per IRS regulations, all exemption certificates must be specific to the vendor and the type of excise tax. If an exemption certificate is requested by a vendor, the Division of Accounting will work with the agency and vendor to complete the appropriate certificate. Such taxes shall not be included in prices quoted.

b. Any material which is to be incorporated in the work or any equipment required for the work contemplated in the proposal may be consigned to the Agency. If the shipping papers show clearly that any such material is so consigned, the shipment will be exempt from the tax on the transportation of property under provisions of Section 3475 (b) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by Public Law 180 (78th Congress). All transportation charges shall be paid by the Vendor. Each Vendor shall take its exemption into account in calculating its bid for its work.

13. INVOICING

After the awards are made, the agencies participating in the bid may forward their purchase orders (“P.O.”) to the successful Vendor(s) in accordance with State Purchasing Procedures. The State will generate a payment voucher upon receipt of an acceptable invoice from the vendor.

14. PRICES

Prices and/or rates shall remain firm for the initial one (1) year term of the contract, unless further negotiations are deemed necessary by the State.

The pricing policy that you choose to submit must address the following concerns:

a. The structure must be clear, accountable and auditable.

b. It must…