RFA# 202603031 - Expansion of the Maine Apprenticeship Program_Final.docx

STATE OF MAINE

Department of Labor Bureau of Employment Services – Maine Apprenticeship program

RFA# 202603031

Expansion of the Maine Apprenticeship Program

RFA Coordinator

Submitted Questions Due Date

Friday, April 24, 2026, no later than 4:00 p.m., local time

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

A. PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

B. GENERAL PROVISIONS

C. ELIGIBILITY TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS

D. CONTRACT TERM

E. AWARDS

F. APPLICABLE LEGISLATION

A. VENDOR SELF SERVICE SYSTEM (VSS)

B. INFORMATIONAL SESSION

C. QUESTIONS

D. AMENDMENTS

E. APPLICATION SUBMISSION

A. EVALUATION PROCESS – GENERAL INFORMATION

B. SCORING WEIGHTS & PROCESS

C. NEGOTIATIONS

D. SELECTION AND AWARD

E. APPEAL OF CONTRACT AWARDS

A. CONTRACT DOCUMENT

B. STANDARD STATE CONTRACT PROVISIONS

PUBLIC NOTICE

State of Maine Department of Labor

RFA# 202603031

Expansion of the Maine Apprenticeship Program

The State of Maine is seeking applications for workforce innovators to support the expansion of Maine’s nationally recognized Registered Apprenticeship Program. This opportunity gives practitioners within the state of Maine the opportunity to innovate apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships in and for the state of Maine.

A copy of the RFA and all related documents can be obtained through the Vendor Self Service System (VSS): https://mevss.hostams.com/PRDVSS1X1/AltSelfService

An Informational Meeting will be held on Thursday, April 13, 2026 at 2:00 PM at the following VIRTUAL location: Microsoft Teams EMAP RFA Informational Meeting

Applications must be submitted to the Office of State Procurement Services, via the Vendor Self Service System (VSS). Application submissions must be received no later than 4:00 p.m., local time, on Friday, May 15, 2026. Applications will be opened the following business day.

RFA TERMS/ACRONYMS with DEFINITIONS The following terms and acronyms, as referenced in the RFA, have the meanings indicated below:

State of Maine Department of Labor Bureau of Employment Services – Maine Apprenticeship Program

RFA# 202603031

Expanding the Maine Apprenticeship Program

PART I INTRODUCTION

A. Purpose and Background

The Maine Department of Labor (Department) is seeking applications for Expanding the Maine Apprenticeship Program (EMAP) as defined in this Request for Applications (RFA) document. This document provides instructions for submitting applications, the procedure and criteria by which the awarded Applicant(s) will be selected, and the contractual terms which will govern the relationship between the State of Maine (State) and the awarded Applicant(s).

EMAP is an opportunity for Maine’s talent and workforce practitioners from all sectors, industries, and organizations to join with the Maine Department of Labor’s Maine Apprenticeship Program in defining the next three years of registered apprenticeship and certified pre-apprenticeship with our nationally recognized apprenticeship program, which has provided countless opportunities for Maine’s workforce since 1941. Applicants are also strongly encouraged to apply for the state’s Career Pathway RFA to provide additional funding and opportunities for expansion.

The State was awarded a competitive grant from the US Department of Labor through June 30, 2028. https://www.maine.gov/labor/news_events/article.shtml?id=13224657 . Funding will be awarded to the best applications that create new opportunities, fill workforce shortages, and ensure that Maine’s talent pipeline is prepared to meet the hiring needs of Maine’s employers with high wage and high demand positions. Maine’s employers include but are not limited to schools, manufacturers, hospitals and rural healthcare, Municipal and County governments, non-profit organizations, small businesses, and large enterprises. If selecting healthcare, applicants are encouraged focus on meeting the unique needs of rural areas (as defined by HRSA https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/about-us/what-is-rural and to consider roles across the continuum of care including: Behavioral Health, EMS, Oral Health, Primary Care, Maternal Care, Specialty Care, Long Term Care, as well as Home and Community Based services. In short, if you run any type of organization that employs or seeks to employ the people of Maine in a registered apprenticeship program and/or develop a talent pipeline through certified pre-apprenticeship, EMAP ensures that the talent you need will be there.

Applicants to this RFA are expected to present a bold and actionable vision for addressing Maine’s workforce opportunities through the innovative deployment of registered apprenticeships and certified pre-apprenticeships. Proposals must demonstrate the ability to deliver measurable, equitable, and sustainable outcomes; either by expanding proven programs or by designing new initiatives that directly advance the following strategic goals:

GOAL ONE- Strategic Expansion Build capacity, expand, and strengthen Maine’s registered apprenticeship system, including certified pre-apprenticeships, as a recognized workforce development strategy and a post-secondary career pathway. In alignment with statewide economic priorities, priority will be given to applications within manufacturing, healthcare, rural healthcare, education, information technology, broadband and data transmission, logistics (including warehousing and shipping/transportation) construction and infrastructure (residential or commercial), clean energy technologies and implementations, and related training and talent pipeline projects that would seek to prepare Maine’s workforce for high wage in demand roles in these sectors.

GOAL TWO- Accountable Partnerships Develop and support integrated statewide, regional, and local apprenticeship strategies that engage industry partners and employment sectors.

GOAL THREE- Future Focused Innovation Design and implement a compelling and innovative program or pilot initiative that positions Maine as a national leader in registered apprenticeship innovation.

Applicants should provide a narrative focused on the above goals and provide examples of work supporting their narrative through the embedded application link within this RFA.

OUTCOMES FRAMEWORK

Applications should focus on outcomes where the applicant can confidently meet or exceed accountability metrics, with transparent strategies and measurable results. Applicants must demonstrate a clear plan to achieve the following 3 outcomes:

OUTCOME ONE- Cost Effective Delivery (Required from all applicants) Deliver new apprentices and pre-apprentices at an average individual cost not exceeding $4,000 per participant. This calculation will be measured annually on a rolling 12-month basis across the full period of performance. Based on award size (ranging from $250,000 to $500,000), place between 20 and 125 individuals into registered apprenticeships or certified pre-apprenticeships. Applicants must demonstrate capacity to scale placements proportionally to award funds.

OUTCOME TWO- Meeting Statewide Talent Demands Address Maine’s critical workforce needs in manufacturing, education, healthcare, infrastructure, civic/public sector, or other workforce sectors by delivering programming, education, and on-the-job learning throughout Maine, including our most rural counties. Efforts must ensure workplace safety, expanded opportunity, & sustainable wage growth for Maine’s citizens. Please refer to High-Wage, In-Demand Jobs | CWRI when developing your response to this outcome.

OUTCOME THREE- Regional Training Expansion Develop, expand, or improve regional training opportunities to strengthen the state’s education and workforce pipeline. Examples of training programs include (but are not limited to):

Shared-use training facilities Remote learning Asynchronous training Worker-friendly training schedules Train-the-trainer sessions Technical Instruction Hands on Learning Occupation Specific Training Workplace safety programs

B. General Provisions

1. From the time this RFA is issued until award notification is made, all contact with the State regarding this RFA must be made through the RFA Coordinator identified on the cover page of this RFA. No other person/State employee is empowered to make binding statements regarding this RFA. Violation of this provision may lead to disqualification from the application process, at the State’s discretion.

2. Issuance of the RFA does not commit the Department to issue an award or to pay expenses incurred by an Applicant in the preparation of a response to the RFA. This includes attendance at personal interviews or other meetings, where applicable.

3. All applications must adhere to the instructions and format requirements outlined in the RFA and all written supplements and amendments (such as the Summary of Questions and answers), issued by the Department. Applications must follow the format and respond to all questions and instructions specified in Part III of the RFA.

4. Applicants will take careful note that in evaluating an application submitted in response to this RFA, the Department will consider materials provided in the application, information obtained through interviews/presentations (if any), and internal Departmental information of previous contract history with the Applicant (if any). The Department also reserves the right to consider other reliable references and publicly available information in evaluating the Applicant’s experience and capabilities.

5. The application must be signed by a person authorized to legally bind the Applicant and must contain a statement that the application and the pricing contained therein will remain valid and binding for a period of 180 days from the date and time of the bid opening.

6. The RFA and the awarded applications, including all appendices or attachments, will be the basis for the final contract, as determined by the Department.

7. Following announcement of an award decision, all submissions in response to this RFA will be public records, available for public inspection pursuant to the State of Maine Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) (1 M.R.S. § 401 et seq.). State contracts and information related to contracts, including application submissions, are generally public records per FOAA.

8. In the event that an Applicant believes any information that it submits in response to this RFA is confidential, it must mark that information accordingly, and include citation to legal authority in support of the Applicant’s claim of confidentiality. In the event that the Department receives a FOAA request that includes submissions marked as confidential, the Department shall evaluate the information and any legal authority from the Applicant to determine whether the information is an exception to FOAA’s definition of public record. If the Department determines to release information that an Applicant has marked confidential, it shall provide advance notice to the Applicant to allow for them to seek legal relief.

9. The Department, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to recognize and waive minor informalities and irregularities found in applications received in response to the RFA.

10. If awarded a contract resulting from this RFA, vendors shall be required to disclose, in writing and in accordance with applicable Maine law, any actual or potential conflicts of interest. Such disclosure must include any financial, professional, or personal relationships that could give rise to a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest. Failure to disclose a known conflict or appearance of conflict may result in disqualification, contract termination, or other remedies as provided by law.

11. All applicable laws, whether or not herein contained, shall be included by this reference. It shall be the Applicant’s responsibility to determine the applicability and requirements of any such laws and to abide by them.

C. Eligibility to Submit Applications

To be eligible to submit your application for the EMAP RFA- ALL of the following MUST apply and are considered Pass/Fail:

1. Are a legally formed organization (LLC, Corp., S-Corp, Non-Profit Corp, etc.) operating in the State of Maine with a headquarters or significant presence in the State.

2. Provides services or goods, to the businesses and people of Maine

3. Comply with all Maine Apprenticeship Program statutes, rules, and regulations

D. Contract Term

The term of anticipated contract period resulting from this RFA is defined in the table below. The dates below are estimated and may be adjusted, as necessary, to comply with all procedural requirements associated with the RFA, the specific project awarded, and the contracting process. The actual contract start date will be established by a completed and approved contract.

E. Awards

The Department anticipates making as many awards as possible ranging from $250,000.00 to $500,000.00 as a result of this RFA process. The Department may award all, part, none, or modify this allocation at its discretion.

The Department reserves the right to make partial awards, eliminate the lowest scoring application(s) and/or make awards for amounts less than requested, whichever is in the best interest of the State.

Programs should embrace forward-looking practices such as remote learning, offering training during times that workers can attend, providing college credit for demonstrated competency on the job, industry specific workforce readiness training, and other innovative apprenticeship learning models that reinforce Maine’s reputation as a state that invests in apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship.

The initiatives within outcome three should directly support Maine’s Community Colleges, Maine Career Pathways, Secondary Education System, or Primary Education System, ensuring alignment across the full education-to-career pathway.

Applicants must provide a clear explanation of how you will achieve the required outcomes including measurable strategies, accountability metrics, and evidence of past success where applicable.

F.

Awardees will be selected by evaluating their presented strategies must be designed to meet Maine’s talent demands for high-wage, high-opportunity employment, with clear accountability measures to track employer engagement and workforce outcomes. Applicable Legislation

It is imperative that all applicants recognize and adhere to the general, specific, and supplementary statutory authorities that govern and empower award recipients in the execution of their projects. These statutory authorities confer upon the Maine Department of Labor both general and specific legal jurisdiction to oversee the selection, implementation, evaluation, and approval of all activities conducted pursuant to this grant, thereby ensuring compliance with applicable federal and state law and safeguarding the integrity of program administration:

General Applicable Statutory Authority MRSA Title 26- Labor & Industry MRSA Title 26, Chapter 37- Registered Apprenticeship

Additional Specific Applicable Statutory Authority MRSA Title 26, Chapter 7: Employment Practices, Subchapter 4: Employment of Children 26 §771. Minors under 14 years of age 26 §772. Minors under 18 years of age; hazardous employment 26 §773-A. Occupations 26 §774. Hours of employment 26 §775. Work permits 26 §777. Permit formats 26 §779. Record of age received as evidence 26 §780. Work permit conclusive for employer; documentary evidence of age 26 §781. Penalties 26 §782. Parent, guardian or custodian 26 §783. Failure to perform duties of office 26 §784. -- certification of false statements 26 §785. Rulemaking 26 §786. Traffic control duties 26 §1043. Definitions Title 39-A: Workers' Compensation

Maine law establishes three sets of labor standards that apply to certain clean energy generation projects:

Title 26, Chapter 43: APPRENTICESHIP IN ENERGY FACILITY CONSTRUCTION Title 26, Chapter 15: PREFERENCE TO MAINE WORKS AND CONTRACTORS Chapter 34: THE MAINE WIND ENERGY ACT

PART II ACTIVITIES AND REQUIREMENTS

A. Required Activities

1. Develop new and/or expand occupations in Registered Apprenticeship programs. In sectors including (but not limited to) manufacturing, healthcare*, rural healthcare*, education, information technology, broadband and data transmission, logistics (including warehousing and shipping/transportation) construction and infrastructure (residential or commercial), clean energy technologies and implementations, and related training and talent pipeline projects that would seek to prepare Maine’s workforce for high wage in demand roles in these sectors.

2. Develop new and/or expand occupations in Certified Pre-Apprenticeship programs that lead directly to Registered Apprenticeships. In sectors including (but not limited to manufacturing, healthcare*, rural healthcare*, education, information technology, broadband and data transmission, logistics (including warehousing and shipping/transportation) construction and infrastructure (residential or commercial), clean energy technologies and implementations, and related training and talent pipeline projects that would seek to prepare Maine’s workforce for high wage in demand roles in these sectors.

3. Develop new and/or expand on the job learning’ and/or classroom training (RTI) or curriculum, and/or training modules for apprenticeship programming.

4. Raise awareness and promote through proactive outreach and promotion Registered Apprenticeships, Certified Pre-Apprenticeships, and the Maine Apprenticeship Program.

5. Foster employer and/or association partnerships.

6. Foster education and/or workforce system provider partnerships.

*If selecting healthcare, applicants are encouraged to consider occupations across the continuum of care, including Behavioral Health, EMS, Oral Health, Primary Care, Maternal Care, Specialty Care, Long-Term Care, and Home and Community-Based Services with particular interest in career pathways to mid-level roles including licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, ASL interpreter, paramedics, respiratory therapists, dental hygienists, surgical or laboratory technologists, licensed clinical social workers, among others. Additional documentation requirements may be required for selected applicants in the rural healthcare sector, which will be discussed during contract negotiations.

B. Allowable Use of Funds

1. Creation and Registration of new Registered Apprenticeship programming

2. Creation and articulation of Certified Pre-Apprenticeship programming that leads directly to Registered Apprenticeship

3. Creation or expansion of curriculum, training or training infrastructure to support Registered Apprenticeships and Certified Pre-Apprenticeships

4. Creation or expansion of collaboration or partnerships between industry associations, providers, educators, and/or industry

5. Create, develop, or expand train-the-trainer programming

6. Purchase of supplies with a unit cost of less than $10,000.00 (see 2 CFR 200.1 for the definition of Supplies)

7. Stipends for trainees and/or their mentors

8. Indirect costs following guidelines provided in PART V, CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION AND CONDITIONS items 4 and 5

9. Supportive services not to exceed 5% of total grant award or $1200.00 per apprentice that enable participation in the education and training activities associated with Apprenticeship or Pre-Apprenticeship program

C. Non-Allowable Use of Funds

1. Purchase of equipment, defined as an item with an procurement cost of $10,000 or more per unit and a useful lifetime of more than one year (see 2 CFR 200.1 for the definition of Equipment).

2. Construction costs

3. Payment of wages for mentors, apprentices, or pre-apprentices

4. No supplantation: No business/organization or partner receiving an award under this RFA may supplant other funds with these funds that assist with similar services. Grantees must use funds in a way that is complementary to other available resources and supplements, expands, and creates new opportunities vs. supplants existing activities.

D. Reporting Requirements

1. Track and record all data/information necessary to complete informative, understandable, accessible, and sharable reports. Specifically, those reports listed in Table 1 below Table 1 – Required Reports

2. Submit all the required reports to the Department in accordance with the timelines established in Table 2:

Table 2 – Required Reports Timelines

PART III KEY PROCESS EVENTS

A. Vendor Self Service System (VSS)

1. The Office of State Procurement Services Vendor Self Service System website is found at the link below: https://www.maine.gov/dafs/bbm/procurementservices/vendors/vendor-self-service-system

2. A copy of the RFA and all associated documents will be published in VSS.

3. Only documents published in VSS will be considered binding.

4. Any interested party may view open solicitations in VSS using the Public Access feature.

5. Vendors must have an active User ID and password in VSS to submit questions and respond to solicitations, including this RFA.

a. Vendor registration instructions and User Guide may be found at the link above, which include steps for searching for an existing account/User ID, or registering for a new account/User ID.

b. Vendors interested in responding to a solicitation are encouraged to obtain a User ID and password for VSS as soon as possible.

6. Vendors must have an active Vendor Code (VC or VS) to contract with the department.

B. Informational Session The Department will host an informational session concerning the RFA beginning at the date, time and location shown on the RFA cover page. The purpose of the Informational Session is to answer and/or field questions, clarify for Applicants any aspect of the RFA that may be necessary, and provide supplemental information to assist potential Applicants in submitting responses to the RFA. Although attendance at the Informational Session is not mandatory, it is strongly encouraged that interested Applicants attend.

C. Questions

1. General Instructions: It is the responsibility of all Applicants and other interested parties to examine the entire RFA and to seek clarification, in writing, if they do not understand any information or instructions.

a. Questions must be submitted in VSS as soon as possible but no later than the date and time published in VSS.

b. Questions should be clearly stated and reference the applicable section and/or page number of the RFA.

c. The Department assumes no liability for assuring accurate/complete/on time transmission and receipt.

2. Question & Answer Summary: Responses to all questions will be compiled in writing and published in VSS no later than seven (7) calendar days prior to the Application Submission Deadline. It is the responsibility of all interested parties to go to VSS to obtain a copy of the Question & Answer Summary. Only those answers issued in writing in VSS will be considered binding.

D. Amendments

All amendments released in regard to the RFA will be published in VSS. It is the responsibility of all interested parties to go to VSS to obtain amendments. Only those amendments published in VSS are considered binding.

E. Application Submission

1. Applications Due

a. Application submissions must be received no later than the Application Submission Deadline (closing date) published in VSS.

b. Any application submissions or any additional or revised application files received after the Application Submission Deadline will be rejected without exception.

2. Delivery Instructions

a. Application submissions must be submitted to the Office of State Procurement Services via VSS.

b. Only application submissions received via VSS will be considered. The Department assumes no liability for assuring accurate/complete receipt.

c. Submissions containing links to file sharing sites or online file repositories will not be accepted as submissions. Only application submissions that have the actual requested files attached will be accepted.

d. Encrypted submissions received which require opening attachments and logging into a proprietary system will not be accepted. Applicants should work with their Information Technology team to ensure that the application submission will not be encrypted due to any security settings.

e. File size limits are 15MB per file. Applicants may separate their submissions into multiple files, as necessary, due to file size concerns.

3. Submission Format

a. Applicants must submit at least one (1) file, labeled and including the required information as defined below:

File Name: RFA# 202603031 Application Submission – [Applicant’s Name]

· Must contain: Applicant’s completed Application Form and all required information and attachments as stated in the form.

b. The Application Form must be submitted as a single, typed file. If including attachments in the same file presents a file size issue, Applicants may submit those attachments as a separate, clearly labeled file.

c. Applicants must include any forms provided in the RFA (such as the Application Form) or reproduce those forms as closely as possible.

d. Applicants are not to provide additional attachments beyond those specified in the RFA or Application Form for the purpose of extending their response. Materials not requested will not be considered part of the application and will not be evaluated.

PART IV APPLICATION EVALUATION AND SELECTION

A. Evaluation Process – General Information

1. An evaluation team, composed of qualified reviewers, will judge the merits of the applications received in accordance with the criteria defined in the RFA.

2. Officials responsible for making decisions on the award selection will ensure that the selection process accords equal opportunity and appropriate consideration to all who are capable of meeting the specifications. The goals of the evaluation process are to ensure fairness and objectivity in review of the applications and to ensure that all contracts are awarded to the Applicants that provide the best value to the State of Maine.

3. The Department reserves the right to communicate and/or schedule interviews/presentations with Applicants, if needed, to obtain clarification of information contained in the applications received. The Department may revise the scores assigned in the initial evaluation to reflect those communications and/or interviews/presentations.

4. Changes to applications, including updating or adding information, will not be permitted during any interview/presentation process and, therefore, Applicants must submit applications that present their rates and other requested information as clearly and completely as possible.

5. Failure to respond to all questions and instructions throughout the RFA may result in the application being disqualified as non-responsive or receiving a reduced score. The Department, and its evaluation team, has sole discretion to determine whether a variance from the RFA specifications will result either in disqualification or reduction in scoring of an application.

B. Scoring Weights & Process

1. Scoring Weights: The score will be based on a 100-point scale and will measure the degree to which each application meets the following criteria. The information required in each section of the Application Form aligns with the Scoring Criteria defined below.

2. Scoring Process: For applications that demonstrate meeting the eligibility requirements defined in Part I, if applicable, the evaluation team will use a consensus approach to evaluate and score all sections listed above. Members of the evaluation team will not score those sections individually but, instead, will arrive at a consensus as to assignment of points for each of those sections.

C. Negotiations

1. The Department reserves the right to negotiate with the awarded Applicant(s) to finalize a contract.

2. The Department reserves the right to terminate contract negotiations with an awarded Applicant who submits a proposed contract significantly different from the application they submitted in response to the advertised RFA.

3. In the event that an acceptable contract cannot be negotiated with an Applicant, the Department may withdraw its award and negotiate with the next-highest ranked Applicant, and so on, until an acceptable contract has been finalized. Alternatively, the Department may cancel the RFA, at its sole discretion.

D. Selection and Award

1. The final decision regarding the award of the contract will be made by representatives of the Department subject to approval by the State Procurement Review Committee.

2. The State reserves the right to issue grant awards in amounts less than $250,000 at its discretion.

3. Notification of conditional award selection or non-selection will be made in writing by the Department.

4. Issuance of the RFA in no way constitutes a commitment by the State of Maine to award a contract, to pay costs incurred in the preparation of a response to the RFA, or to pay costs incurred in procuring or contracting for services, supplies, physical space, personnel or any other costs incurred by an Applicant.

5. The Department reserves the right to reject any and all applications or to make multiple awards.

E. Appeal of Contract Awards

Any person aggrieved by the award decision that results from the RFA may appeal the decision to the Director of the Bureau of General Services in the manner prescribed in 5 M.R.S.A. § 1825-E and 18-554 Code of Maine Rules Chapter 120. The appeal must be in writing and filed with the Director of the Bureau of General Services, 9 State House Station, Augusta, Maine, 04333-0009 within fifteen (15) calendar days of receipt of notification of conditional contract award.

PART V CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION AND CONDITIONS

A. Contract Document

1. The awarded Applicant will be required to execute a State of Maine Service Contract with appropriate riders as determined by the issuing department.

All exceptions will be negotiated between the awarded Applicant(s) and the State. The State will not accept any proposed exceptions as part of this RFA process. The State is not obligated to accept, negotiate, or compromise of any proposed exceptions.

The complete set of standard State of Maine Service Contract documents, along with other forms and contract documents commonly used by the State, may be found on the Office of State Procurement Services’ website at the following link: Office of State Procurement Services Forms Page

2. Allocation of funds is final upon successful negotiation and execution of the contract, subject to the review and approval of the State Procurement Review Committee. Contracts are not considered fully executed and valid until approved by the State Procurement Review Committee and funds are encumbered. No contract will be approved based on an RFA which has an effective date less than fourteen (14) calendar days after award notification to Applicants. (Referenced in the regulations of the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Chapter 110, § 3(B)(i).)

This provision means that a contract cannot be effective until at least fourteen (14) calendar days after award notification.

3. The State recognizes that the actual contract effective date depends upon completion of the RFA process, date of formal award notification, length of contract negotiation, and preparation and approval by the State Procurement Review Committee. Any appeals to the Department’s award decision(s) may further postpone the actual contract effective date, depending upon the outcome.