PHPA_3107_Pre_-_Application_Conference_Minutes.pdf

Pre-Application Conference Minutes

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA): GRIEF AND BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT AND CHILD LOSS, AND

INFANT SAFE SLEEP TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

Solicitation Number: PHPA 3107/BPM #046194

Date: September 18, 2024

Vendor Attendance:

Matila Sackor Jones, Roberta's House

Cassandra Mickish Gross, Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

Dr. Alexander Satorie-Robinson, Roberta’ House

Latoya Bates, University of Maryland School of Medicine

Sanjanique Stephens, Mara’s Babies.

Tracy Turner Roberta's House

Jada Hudson, AMSA Creative Marketing

Sadija A. Smiley, Stillborn and Infant Loss Support.

Felicia Benjamin, Well Centric DC

Jacqueline Hendricks, University of Maryland Pediatrics

August Summers, Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

Sabrina Coppage, UMB Pediatric Research Admin Office

Lyndsey Mitchum, Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

Annette March Grier, Roberta's House Inc.

Ronda Bullock, Maryland Coalition of Families

LS Mondy, CEO LOVE- Nurse & Allied Staffing educational, assessment, and prevention needs of solicitation?

Rebecca Jascoviak

Brian Perez

MDH Staff

Cassidy Spence, Maryland Department of Health

Thuy Nguyen, Maryland Department of Health

Augustus Woyah, Maryland Department of Health

Greetings/Virtual Rules – Augustus Woyah, MDH

Attendees were advised that the virtual conference was being recorded and Virtual Conference

Rules were reviewed.

Greetings/Introductions – Augustus Woyah, Procurement Officer

Augustus Woyah, procurement officer, facilitated opening remarks and introductions. MDH staff and attendees introduced themselves. All attendees were asked to sign in using the “Chat” feature within the virtual meeting.

Procurement Overview – Augustus Woyah, Procurement Officer, MDH

The Department intends to make up to two (2) awards total, one award for each of the two key work areas as a result of this RFA. Each work area will be awarded individually. Applicants may apply for and be awarded one or more work areas. There is no limit to the number of work areas an Applicant may apply to.

The total award amount across all two work component areas shall not exceed $225,000 in the base year (SFY25). Year 2 (SFY26) shall not exceed $225,000, and Year 3 (SFY27) shall not exceed $225,000 as a result of this RFA.

Component 1: Grief and Bereavement Intervention Services

➔ Base Year (FY25: October 1, 2024- June 30, 2025): Up to $100,000

➔ Year 2 (FY26: July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026): Up to $100,000

➔ Year 3 (FY27: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027): Up to $100,000

Component 2: Infant Safe Sleep Education, Resources, and Initiatives

➔ Base Year (FY25 October 1, 2024- June 30, 2025): Up to $125,000

➔ Year 2 (FY26: July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026): Up to $125,000

➔ Year 3 (FY27: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027): Up to $125,000

Carefully review Section 2- Mandatory Requirements, beginning with page 7 of the RFA. The

Applicant must provide proof with its application that the following Mandatory Requirements have been met:

2.1.1 The Applicant shall be a social organization as defined per Section 7-402 of the State

Finance and Procurement Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland or a local, state government agency, public college or state university.

2.1.2 For social organization Applicants (not local, state government agency, public college, or state university), the Applicant must be a nonprofit organization, classified by the IRS as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Applications must include attachments of the following documentation from the applicant:

REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION: Documentation of tax-exempt status of the Applicant (i.e., IRS tax exempt status determination letter).

Carefully review Section 1.6 Questions on page 4 regarding how to submit questions subsequent to this Pre-Application Conference. Questions to the Procurement Officer, Augustus Woyah, shall be submitted through the email address listed on the RFA Key Information Summary Sheet.

Please identify in the subject line the Solicitation Number and Title. Questions should be submitted no later than September 20, 2024.

If the RFA is revised before the Application due date, the Department shall provide an

Addendum. Please be sure to check the eMMA website to acknowledge any addendums.

POINTS EMPHASIZED:

A. This solicitation requests a firm fixed price. There are several steps involved in this method, so your attention to the solicitation document is crucial to the successful submission of your application.

The Mandatory Requirements must be met and are listed in Section 2 on page 7.

B. The Grantee’s Requirements: Scope of Work is listed in Section 3.2, beginning on page

9. This gives an outline of the responsibilities of the Applicant and provides you a clear understanding of what the Department expects of the successful Applicant in the provision of the services. Participants were informed that representatives from the program staff would give further emphasis on the Scope of Work during the meeting.

C. Proposal Format

Applicants are required to submit their response to the RFA in two parts. Section 4- Application

Format, beginning on page 21, clearly lists all submission requirements.

o Volume I – Project Narrative o Volume II – Budget Narrative

Please note no pricing information is to be included in the Technical Application.

D. The Evaluation Committee, Evaluation Criteria, and Selection Procedure are outlined in

Section 5 (beginning on page 24). Your application will be evaluated by a committee organized for that purpose and will be based on the criteria set forth in the RFA.

The Project Narrative Evaluation Criteria, listed in descending order of importance, can be found in Section 5.2 (page 24) with the Budget Narrative Evaluation Criteria listed in Section 5.3 (page

24).

The Selection Procedures is highlighted in Section 5.4 (page 24). As noted, the Grant will be awarded in accordance with the Standard Grant Agreement method outlined in the

Announcement.

RFA Attachments are listed on page 26.

E. Other than composing your Project Narrative and Budget Narrative, the most important matter is to have your applications submitted by the date, and time listed. Your applications are due no later than September 25, 2023, at 2:00 PM EST Local Time and must be submitted electronically to the State's eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA) e-Procurement system.

No applications will be accepted after 2:00 PM

Applicants were advised that after this Pre-Application Conference applicants may have questions answered that may help them understand the RFA, etc. Please keep in mind that the answers to your questions, if they are significant in nature, shall be posted on the eMMA website. Therefore, please allow sufficient time for this to occur.

Review of Grantee’s Requirements and Scope of Work – Thuy N. PowerPoint slides are attached to the minutes.

Questions and Answers Session - The floor was opened to Attendees.

Questions #1: Will I need to be a nonprofit organization in order to qualify to apply?

Answer: Per section 2.1.1-2.1.2, the Applicant shall be a Social organization as defined per

Section 7-402 of the State Finance and Procurement Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland or a local, state government agency, public college or state university. For social organization

Applicants (not local, state government agency, public college, or state university), the Applicant must be a nonprofit organization, classified by the IRS as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Question #2: Section 3.2.2.1.1 - Referral Requirements

It is noted that the contractor must offer no-cost grief intervention services to every family referred by a State or local Child Fatality Review (CFR) Team, Fetal and Infant Mortality

Review (FIMR) Team, Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME), or other agencies. Could you provide an estimate of the expected number of referrals? Answer:

Approximately 100-150 referrals (based on previous year data, however, numbers can vary year after year).

Question#3: Can the agency please differentiate between a social organization under Maryland procurement code 7-204 and a 501c3 non-profit organization as listed within Qualifications as they're both listed within solicitation?

Answers: Please see question #1 answer

Question #4a: Website - For the website, is the intention for this to be standalone with a separate domain and branding or a landing page on the awardee’s current website?

Answer: It could be either

Question #4b: If the former, outside of ADA requirements, are there any additional regulations on MDH’s end that the awardee would need to abide by?

Answer: The webpage would need to go through MDH approval process including review from

MDH Communication Department

Question #4c: Is the preference that this would be co-branded as well? Similar to the marketing materials?

Answer: Yes, a funding statement would be included indicating that the initiative is made possible by funding provided by the Maryland Department of Health.

Question #5: Video Assets - The reporting section mentions “Progress of all activities, status of project development in relation to the timeline, tracking of meetings with stakeholders, and project updates of educational videos on infant safe sleep” - Is the development of these infant safe sleep videos part of the scope for this opportunity? If so, are you able to provide additional details around this ask?

Answer: This was an error; no infant safe sleep videos are required to develop.

Question #6: Regarding providers Safe Sleep policies/practices, are we providing a Landscape analysis or a conducting an audit (i.e., in-person interviews, needs assessment)?

Answer: The former, as indicated in section 3.2.2.2.5.

Question #7: The annual meeting for the CFR team including statewide members- Is this to be held in November of 2024 or 2025?

Answer: In 2025 and 2026

Question #8: Is there any part of the Solicitation that is supported under title v funding?

Answer: No, it is supported by State General Funds.

Question #9: Regarding the attachments listed in the "Incorporation by Reference" section

(Attachments A-F), should we include these in the application submission, or are they just for informational purposes and will be part of the grant agreement later?

Answer: There are five contacts/locations:

Question #10: I see that the budget limits indirect costs to 10%. May bidders include a management fee in addition to direct and indirect costs, so long as such a fee is collected and used in line with the organization's nonprofit status?

Answer: An applicant’s financial application shall comprise direct and indirect