OSPERFI.Market.Research.SEED.12.4.26.docx

Department of Labor - OSPE Market Research: Request for Information (RFI)/Sources Sought Notice State Exchange on Employment and Disability (SEED)

SPECIAL NOTICE: SOURCES SOUGHT & REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI). THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. This notice does not represent a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or award a contract. The Government is not obligated to and will not pay for information received as a result of this announcement. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this announcement and any follow-up information requests to include an invite to further explain/demonstrate aspects of their proposed approach. Requests for a solicitation will not receive a response. Information provided in response to this RFI is submitted voluntarily and is not being requested as part of a solicitation for actual pricing.

PURPOSE OF RFI:

Today, more than 23 million working-age Americans live with a disability, yet only 38% are employed, leaving millions sidelined from our strong economy. The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) recognizes and values the role that states have in modernizing workforce systems, facilitating public-private partnerships, and adopting effective disability employment policies. As such, ODEP supports the State Exchange on Employment and Disability (SEED) initiative to provide technical assistance for state policy makers on the development, adoption, and implementation of state policies that help Americans with disabilities secure employment, grow earnings, and build wealth.

This RFI seeks to gather information on the objectives below to manage and implement SEED through the following objectives:

· Provide technical assistance for state legislative and executive branch policy makers on the development, adoption, and implementation of state disability employment policies that aim to increase the number of Americans with disabilities in the labor market.

· Develop high quality, plain language technical assistance resources and policy briefs for state policy makers on disability employment related issues.

· Develop a mechanism to track the adoption, implementation, and impact of state level disability employment related policies.

· Develop and implement a strategic approach for increasing the adoption and implementation of state level evidence-based disability employment policies and practices across the country.

· Partner with national, regional, and state organizations and their membership networks to educate policy makers on state level evidence-based disability employment policies and practices.

· Convene forums and learning exchanges for state policy makers interested in developing and implementing both policies and practices that improve labor force participation rates for Americans with disabilities.

· Identify evolving disability employment issues and assist in development of responsive policy frameworks.

· Manage communities of practice and/or innovation hubs to share evidence-based employment policies with state policy makers.

The Government may use the responses to this RFI for market research and planning purposes.

BACKGROUND:

ODEP is a federal agency within the Department of Labor that develops and influences policies and practices to increase the number and quality of employment opportunities for people with disabilities. ODEP does not have regulatory authority.

Labor force participation rates for working-age individuals without disabilities are currently about two times higher than those for people with disabilities, and the unemployment rate for working-age individuals with disabilities stands at nine percent, five percentage points higher than the rate for those without disabilities. What persists is a group with enormous untapped potential striving to contribute to the global competitiveness in every state across our nation.

To address these challenges, ODEP promotes the adoption and implementation of evidence-based policy strategies and practices that are associated with better employment outcomes for people with disabilities. To that end, ODEP conducts research to identify and develop effective policies and practices, conducts outreach to share this critical information, and provides technical assistance to all levels of government, service providers, non-governmental organizations, and employers in both the public and private sector.

Through SEED, ODEP promotes the development, adoption, and implementation of state policies that facilitate the employment of people with disabilities. SEED shares state model legislation, legislative language, policy considerations, and implementation strategies that can be tailored to meet state needs and goals. To ensure the continued success and evolution of this project, ODEP requires support from a contractor with unique experience and expertise aligned with SEED's needs and specific technical qualifications.

SCOPE

The primary goal of this initiative is to support ODEP in managing the SEED initiative and strengthen its efforts to actively engage state level policy makers. This includes providing intensive technical assistance and support to state policy makers; increasing the adoption and implementation of evidence-based disability employment policies and practices; and fostering collaboration with national, regional, and state organizations.

The following qualifications are important for satisfying the scope of services requested:

· Experience in designing, managing, and implementing state level technical assistance initiatives aligned with the RFI objectives outlined above.

· Experience in drafting disability employment legislation and policies, as well as policy tools and resources to assist state policy makers in the development and implementation of related policies.

· Experience in designing and implementing coordinated disability employment programs and services.

· Experience in tracking state level policies and increasing the adoption and implementation of evidence-based policies and practices.

· Experience in developing and maintaining partnerships with governmental and non-governmental organizations, including those that include state policy makers, state workforce agencies, and other key stakeholders.

· Experience in convening, organizing, and facilitating peer-to-peer exchanges on targeted disability employment policies and practices.

· Knowledge of current and disability related employment policies, including the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

· Experience working with and adhering to federal Plain Language Guidelines, Section 508 Compliance, and/or Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

RFI QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Describe your experience providing relevant services outlined in the scope of work above to the public and to other government agencies. Please include a brief description and length of time providing these services, and under what North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) number, as appropriate.

1. Offer a general summary of your approach to accomplishing the requirements listed in this document.

1. Describe your administrative support structure, including your approach to project management (schedule, notetaking and tracking of deliverables etc.).

1. Describe quality assurance capabilities and process.

1. Describe sub-contractor and/or grant management capabilities and process.

1. Describe your type of organization (i.e., small, small disadvantaged, woman-owned, HUB Zone, serviced-disabled veteran-owned small business, large business, non-profit organizations, academic institution, government agency, etc.); and as appropriate under what NAICS number.

Questions regarding the Draft Performance Work Scope (PWS) Task List for assessing potential costs and potential risk. These include the following:

1. Describe any potential issues with tasks outlined (either expressed or implied) that may limit a Company’s ability to perform services and ultimately increase the cost to the Government.

1. Based on a review of the services referenced in the draft PWS Task List outlined below, are there suggestions that your firm would propose in terms of providing this service?

1. Identify any questions or clarifications that would likely be requested from industry regarding the PWS Task List as drafted.

RESPONSES TO RFI

RFI responses shall conform to the format below and provide the information as follows:

1. Offerors shall provide a cover letter, which must include the following information:

· Company name

· Company point of contact, telephone number and email address

· Date submitted

2. Offerors shall respond to each of the general questions.

3. If the offeror chooses not to respond to a question, indicate “no response.”

4. Offerors must submit a capabilities package that includes the above considerations that demonstrate capabilities and expertise related to the information outlined. As part of the market research associated with this RFI, we are also seeking pricing information. Any pricing information received is to be Rough Order of Magnitude and is solely for information-gathering and planning purposes.

5. Marketing and/or reference materials, if included, shall be placed at the end of the response, in an appendix.

6. Responses shall not exceed 20 pages and should be submitted in Microsoft Word .doc or .docx formats, Times New Roman 11-point or 12-point font, with 1-inch margins minimum all around.

RFI SCHEDULE

Responses to the RFI shall be submitted via email to Daniel Garza at Garza.Daniel@dol.gov by 12:00PM EST on Monday, February 23, 2026.

Contracting Officer – Rachael Vargas Email: Vargas.Rachael.N@dol.gov

Questions regarding this RFI shall be e-mailed to the above point of contact by 12:00PM on Friday, February 13, 2026. Questions and answers shall be posted as an amendment to this RFI. The Government reserves the right to edit any questions as needed to protect the identity of the source, but absent this consideration, the Government intends to quote each submitted question verbatim in its response.

DISCLAIMER

This RFI is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for information received in response to this RFI. All information received in response to this RFI, that is marked Proprietary, will be handled accordingly. Responses to the RFI will not be returned. Information provided in response to this RFI will be used to assess tradeoffs and alternatives available for determining how to proceed in the acquisition process for an agency-wide asset management system and may lead to the development of a PWS for the project. In accordance with the FAR, responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.

BASED ON THE RESPONSES TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE/MARKET RESEARCH, THIS REQUIREMENT MAY BE SET-ASIDE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES OR PROCURED THROUGH FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION.

Task List for Performance Work Statement

Basic Services:

The contractor shall provide:

Task 3: Adoption and Impact of Disability Employment Policies

Task 4: Partnerships and Coalition Building

Task 5: Emerging Issues