LAB26001-WD_rfp.pdf

STATE OF DELAWARE

The Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Employment & Training

RFP#: LAB-WD-26R-001

RFP Naem: Workforce Development

State of Delaware

Workforce Development (WD)

Request for Proposal

Contract No. LAB-WD-26R-001

February 4, 2026

- Deadline to Respond - March 12, 2026

1:00 PM (Local Time)

CONTRACT NO. LAB-WD-26R-001

ALL VENDORS:

The enclosed packet contains a "REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL" for LAB-WD-26R-001. The proposal consists of the following:

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 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-WD-26R-001, PROVIDER NAME, WD 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 contact 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 professional services to support Delawareans ages 18+ in new, innovating, emerging or high demand occupations that may also support apprenticeships, stackable credentials and career ladder positions. This request for proposals (“RFP”) is issued pursuant to 29 Del. C. §§ 6981 and 6982.

1. COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSAL

It has been determined by 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 to 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

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

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.

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 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 https://bids.delaware.gov/

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.

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 Workforce Development 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 State of Delaware, Department of Labor, Division of Employment and Training (“DET” or the “State of Delaware”) seeks professional services to implement the State’s Workforce Development Program as described in Section II Scope of Services. This request for proposals (“RFP”) is issued pursuant to 29 Del. C. §§ 6981 and 6982.

3. STATEMENT OF NEEDS

This RFP will fund programming to support Delawareans ages 18+ in new, innovating, emerging or high demand occupations that may also support apprenticeships, stackable credentials and career ladder positions.

a. Providers will:

• Recruit, determine, and document eligibility for Provider’s program participants.

• Maintain and upload into Delaware JobLink (DJL) the documentation for each participant, including eligibility, attendance, assessments, credentials, certificates, and outcomes. Providers will provide documentation to Delaware and/or their designees upon request;

• Enter participants information and activities into Delaware JobLink (DJL) in accordance with DOL E&T policies and procedures for participant tracking and performance measure reporting. Budgets should reflect staffing to complete this task;

• Attend all required meetings and trainings.

• Provide objective assessments to determine participants likelihood for success in proposed program as well as service needs. This will include assessments to:

o Determine reading and math skills. Basic language and numeric skills training will be provided concurrently with skills training as appropriate. Assessments provided by the local education agency (e.g. Smarter Balance, PSAT, and SAT) may be used to assess reading and math skills. Providers are encouraged to use assessment approved by the National Reporting System found here https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/12/13/2016-29899/tests-determined-to-be-suitable-for-use-in-the-national-reporting-system-for-adult-education. Assessments may be completed by Provider or by a partner. Assessments previously completed within the 6 months prior to enrollment into the programs may be used;

o Career/Occupational Interests through tools such as the O*Net Interest Profiler found at https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip or other method to determine interest, appropriate career pathway and fit for program. Prior assessments or planning tools completed may be used such as the Student Success Plan completed in Delaware’s secondary schools; and o Wraparound/Supportive Service needs of each participant to identifying appropriate services and referrals for participants. This may be done through the completion of an Individualized Service Strategy.

b. Develop Individualized Service Strategy (ISS): The ISS will include an ultimate employment goal, along with incremental work readiness, academic steps and credentials needed to achieve the goal. The ISS will be reviewed and updated regularly by program staff and will need to be uploaded in DJL;

c. Offer training appropriate to the intended job placement opportunity and demonstrate that the curriculum/services being offered through proposed training meets the current and projected needs of the local employers;

d. Alignment with Delaware’s Labor Market: Proposals must describe how funded activities respond to current and projected needs in Delaware’s labor market, using labor market intelligence or employer input.

e. Offer, or refer to, entrepreneurial skills training, when appropriate to the occupation and/or individual service strategy;

f. Provide intensive job search and placement assistance to participants which includes preparing participants for unsubsidized employment opportunities

g. Utilize Delaware JobLink to maximize participants’ job search and placement. At a minimum, participants will create a jobseeker account in Delaware JobLink (https://joblink.delaware.gov) which includes building at least one (1) resume;

h. Track, document and record employment outcomes and retention up to 90 days;

i. Have and maintain appropriate linkages to various supportive services to ensure wrap around services enabling successful program completions, job placement and retention. Linkages shall include referrals for substance/alcohol abuse, financial literacy, basic needs, and mental health. Providers that request funds for supportive services will document linkages with other human service Providers; and

j. Provide retention services, as necessary, including during the day and evening to meet performance measures for 6 months following exit of participants.

k. Proposals must be submitted by a lead applicant.

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

a. 18 years or older;

b. Eligible to work in the United States;

c. Must be a Delaware Resident;

d. Focused on serving unemployed, underemployed, and/or those with barriers to employment or career advancement.

All participants served must be determined and documented as eligible prior to enrolling by the Provider.

m. Provider(s) will be responsible for recruitment of all participants.

n. Provider(s) will be responsible for conducting assessments to determine participant’s likelihood for success in proposed program. This can include academic, career interests, and service needs.

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

p. 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 (https://joblink.delaware.gov).

q. Providers will have and maintain appropriate linkages to various supportive services to ensure wrap around services enabling successful program completions, job placement and retention. Linkages shall include referrals for substance/alcohol abuse, financial literacy, basic needs, and mental health.

https://joblink.delaware.gov/

r. Providers will maintain documentation for each participant, including eligibility, attendance, assessments, credentials, certificates, and outcomes. Providers will provide documentation to State of Delaware and/or their designees upon request. Provider will be orientated on guidelines and document processing.

s. Providers will be given up to a 90-day intensive job search period to obtain employment or upgrade.

This period begins the last day or completion of the education/training.

t. Provider(s) will track employment outcomes and retention up to 90 days post exit.

u. The following will be the minimum Performance Outcomes expected*

v. programs: Day 1 & 30 are percentages of those that completed training.

Performance Outcome Goal Enrollment 100% Completion of Proposed Training 85% Day 1-Obtained Employment or Upgrade 75% Day 30-Retained Employment for 30 Days 70%

*Strategic Workforce Training Plans may propose alternative outcomes but must include employment related outcomes.

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

(see 12 below). The State of Delaware will require a line-item budget as part of the proposal. The approved budget will be incorporated into the executed contract.

x. Providers 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 the State of 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.

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

z. 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.

Funds shall be used to provide training to participants and may include items such as (see line item budget in Appendix D):

• Staff salary and fringe

• Assessments

• Certifications

• Tuition

• Training (including Job Readiness Training)

• Participant payments

• Supportive Services to participants

• Books

• Space

4. Professional Services:

The below information shall be provided in each proposal in the order listed below. Failure to respond to any request for information within this proposal may result in the rejection of the proposal at the sole discretion of the State.

a. All Providers shall have the State of Delaware license(s) and/or certification(s) necessary to perform services as identified in the scope of services. Documentation of having a State of Delaware Business License (non-public entities) or non-profit status, if not required to have a State of Delaware Business License, shall be submitted with Proposal.

b. Provider shall complete and submit the Proposal Submission Template (Appendix C).

c. Complete all appropriate attachments and forms as identified within the RFP.

5. RFP Administrative Information:

a. Public Notice: Public notice has been provided in accordance with 29 Del. C. § 6981.

b. Obtaining Copies of the RFP: This RFP is available in electronic form through the State of Delaware

Procurement website at https://bids.delaware.gov paper copies of this RFP will not be available.

c. Assistance to Vendors with Disabilities: Vendors with disabilities may receive accommodations regarding the means of communicating this RFP or participating in the procurement process. For more information, contact the Designated Contact no later than ten (10) days prior to the deadline for receipt of proposals.

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. The designated contact for this RFP is: John Quick, DOL_DET_Contracts@delaware.gov Please use this email for all communications regarding this RFP.

e. Consultants and Legal Counsel: The State of Delaware may retain consultants or legal counsel to assist in the review and evaluation of this RFP and the vendors’ responses. Bidders shall not contact the State’s consultant or legal counsel on any matter related to the RFP.

f. Contact with State Employees: Direct contact with State of Delaware employees other than the State of Delaware designated contact regarding this RFP is expressly prohibited without prior consent. Vendors directly contact State of Delaware employees risk elimination of their proposal from further consideration.

Exceptions exist only for organizations currently doing business in the State who require contact in the normal course of doing that business.

g. Organizations Ineligible to Bid: Any individual, business, organization, corporation, consortium, partnership, joint venture, or any other entity including subcontractors currently debarred or suspended are ineligible to bid. Any entity ineligible to conduct business in the State of Delaware for any reason is ineligible to respond to this RFP.

h. Exclusions: The proposal evaluation team reserves the right to refuse to consider any proposal from a vendor who:

mailto:DOL_DET_Contracts@delaware.gov

• Has been convicted for the commission of a criminal offense as an incident to obtaining or attempting to obtain a public or private contract or subcontract, or in the performance of the contract or subcontract.

• Has been convicted under State or Federal statues of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification, or destruction of records, receiving stolen property, or other offense indicating a lack of business integrity or business honesty that currently and seriously affect responsibility as a State contractor.

• Has been convicted or has had a civil judgment entered for a violation under State or Federal antitrust statutes.

• Has violated contract provisions such as, known failure without good cause to perform in accordance with the specifications or within the time limit provided in the contract; or failure to performance or unsatisfactory performance in accordance with terms of one or more contracts.

i. Has violated ethical standards set out in law or regulation.

j. Any other cause listed in regulations of the State of Delaware determined to be serious and compelling as to affect responsibility as a state contractor, including suspension or debarment by another governmental entity for a cause listed in the regulations.

6. 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 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 provided email address prior to the submission deadline. No other submission type 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.

Division of Employment & Training shall evaluate each exception according to the intent of the terms and conditions contained herein, but 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.

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 http://delcode.delaware.gov/title29/c100/index.shtml 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 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-WD-26R- 001, PROVIDER NAME, WD 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.

F. OR EQUAL (PRODUCTS BY NAME)

Specifications of products by name are intended to be descriptive of quality or workmanship, finish and performance. Desirable characteristics are not intended to be restrictive. Substitutions of products for those named will be considered provided the vendor certifies that the function, characteristics, performance and endurance qualities of the material offered is equal or superior to that specified.

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 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

• Geographical Location of office and worksites

• Targeted Industry

b. Concise Summary of Program

c. Demonstrated Ability

• Experience running similar programs.

• Capacity to meet requirements of this RFP.

• Expertise.

d. Program Design

e. Cost/Budget

f. Leveraged Resources

4. CRITERIA AND SCORING

EVALUATION CRITERIA POINTS

Applicant Group-

• Proposal demonstrates that the proposed training was developed with input from the appropriate stakeholders, primarily businesses.

Target Industry/Common Skill-

• Proposal demonstrates that the proposed targeted industry or common skill is in demand supported by labor market information or other supporting detail.

Program Design and Results-

• Proposal demonstrates that the Implementation goals can be achieved through the proposed activities

Budget-

• Proposed budget is reasonable and competitive as compared to other proposals

Enhanced Considerations

• Proposals that maximize the potential of the collaboration through direct financial or in-kind contributions by members of the applicant group or other stakeholders and/or

• Proposals demonstrate the use of paid work experiences, job shadowing, or other work based learning models to engage participants with local employers.

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.

V. MANDATORY PREBID MEETING

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

https://data.delaware.gov/

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 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…