HCPF Solicitation #:

RFP UHAA 2026000258

Home and Community Based Services Quality and Member Experience Monitoring

TABLE OF CONTENTS

APPENDIX A – ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION DOCUMENT

APPENDIX B – DRAFT CONTRACT

APPENDIX C – W-9

APPENDIX D – Terminology APPENDIX E –Pricing worksheet

Introduction and Background General Information The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (Department) is soliciting competitive, responsive proposals from experienced and financially sound organizations to perform as the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) quality and member experience monitoring administrator for the Department.

General solicitation information, timelines and proposal submission requirements are available in Appendix A, Administrative Information Document. To be considered responsive, an Offeror shall comply with all of the requirements and timelines contained in Appendix A.

Anticipated Contract Term The initial operational period of the Contract is anticipated to begin approximately 60 Calendar Days after the Solicitation is made public and will last until June 30, 2027.

The total duration of the Contract, including the Department’s exercise of any options, is not anticipated to exceed five years.

The State may take steps to extend the Contract beyond the anticipated term in accordance with the Colorado Procurement Code, and in the event that the State determines an extension is necessary.

The State may, within its sole discretion, choose not to exercise any option or extension term in the Contract for any reason. If the State chooses not to exercise any option or extension term, it may re-procure the goods and/or services in its sole discretion.

Draft Contract A draft Contract is included as Appendix B, Draft Contract. The terms of the Draft Contract shall become contractual obligations following award of the Statement of Work. The Offeror affirms its willingness to enter into a Contract containing terms substantially similar to those in Appendix B, Draft Contract, including its exhibits, by submitting a proposal. The successful Offeror may have an opportunity to request modification to the terms of the Draft Contract, as described in Appendix A, but the Department may choose to not accept any requested modifications. The Department will not accept any proposals that are conditional on acceptance of modified terms and conditions.

Terminology Acronyms and abbreviations are defined at their first occurrence in this Request for Proposals (RFP). Appendix D, Terminology is provided to assist the reader in understanding acronyms, abbreviations, and terminology used throughout this solicitation.

Background Department of Health Care Policy and Financing Background The Department serves as the Medicaid Single State Agency as defined by 45 C.F.R. §205.100. The Department develops and implements policy and financing for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, called Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) in Colorado, as well as a variety of other publicly funded health care programs for Coloradans who qualify. For more information about the Department, visit www.Colorado.gov/HCPF.

The Department is a Covered Entity under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) (42 U.S.C. §§1320d – 1320d-8) and its implementing regulations.

The Department operates the Colorado Medicaid Program, known as Health First Colorado, in accordance with the Colorado Medical Assistance Act (§§25.5-4-104, et seq., C.R.S.) and Title XIX of the Social Security Act. Colorado Medicaid is annually funded from appropriations authorized by the Colorado General Assembly and matched by federal funds.

The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) participates in the National Core Indicators (NCI) initiative and administers standardized quality surveys to assess and monitor performance within Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver programs. Through these efforts, HCPF collects information directly from members to assess satisfaction with services and supports received, understand member experiences within HCBS programs, and identify unmet needs and opportunities for service improvement.

Subrecipient Status The Contractor will not be considered a subrecipient subject to the requirements of the Office of Management and Budget Uniform Guidance, 2 CFR Part 200.

Offeror’s Experience and Personnel

ORGANIZATIONAL EXPERIENCE

The Department has determined that it desires specific experience and skills for an Offeror to possess in order for the Offeror to be able to complete the Work efficiently while meeting the demands and deadlines of the Department.

The Department will evaluate the Offeror’s experience pertaining to the following:

Experience within the last three years conducting healthcare-related surveys.

Experience within the last three years conducting virtual remote surveys.

Experience within the last three years collecting, organizing, and protecting data.

Experience within the last three years conducting projects with diverse members and communities.

Experience within the last three years with response rates, including the average rate of response during that period.

Experience working with individuals with disabilities.

Provide a detailed description of Offeror’s organizational experience related to the Work. Specifically, address experience listed in 2.1.2.

Personnel Requirements All personnel requirements are shown in Appendix B, in the Contractor’s Administrative Requirements exhibit to that Appendix.

The Key Personnel, as described in Appendix B, for the Contract are as follows:

Project Lead The Project Lead shall be responsible for all of the following:

Serving as Contractor’s primary point of contact for the Department.

Ensuring the completion of all Work in accordance with the Contract’s requirements. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring the accuracy, timeliness and completeness of all work.

Overseeing all other Key Personnel and Other Personnel and ensuring proper staffing levels throughout the term of the Contract.

Statement of Work General Information The following Statement of Work describes the Deliverables sought through this RFP and the scope of what the awarded Offeror will be expected to offer through the contract resulting from this RFP. The Statement of Work is intended to provide interested Offerors with sufficient basic information to submit a proposal. It is not intended to limit a proposal’s content or exclude any relevant or essential data.

national core indicators (NCI) and Children’s waiver satisfaction survey Contractor shall administer the National Core Indicators – Aging and Disabilities (NCI-AD) Survey and the National Core Indicators – Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (NCI-IDD) Survey on behalf of the Department, limited to interviewer workforce management and field survey administration activities described in this Statement of Work.

Surveys under this Contract shall be administered on a rotating basis by State Fiscal Year (SFY), as determined by the Department. Contractor shall perform services only for the Survey(s) scheduled in the applicable SFY.

SFY 2026–2027: National Core Indicators – Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (NCI-IDD) SFY 2027–2028: National Core Indicators – Aging and Disabilities (NCI-NCI-AD) SFY 2028–2029: National Core Indicators – Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (NCI-DD) and Children’s Waiver Satisfaction Survey (CWSS) SFY 2029–2030: National Core Indicators – Aging and Disabilities (NCI-AD) SFY 2030–2031: National Core Indicators – Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (NCI-DD) and Children’s Waiver Satisfaction Survey (CWSS) Interviewer Recruitment Contractor shall recruit and maintain a sufficient number of Interviewers to administer applicable Surveys conducted during each State Fiscal Year (SFY), including the Children’s Waiver Satisfaction Survey (CWSS), National Core Indicators – Aging and Disabilities (NCI-AD), and National Core Indicators – Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (NCI-IDD).

Interviewers may be employees of the Contractor or subcontracted by the Contractor.

Interviewers shall be geographically distributed across the state to ensure adequate coverage of all service areas.

Contractor shall provide the Department with location of interviewers, and the service area they will be conducting interviews.

Contractor shall select and provide a sufficient number of bilingual Interviewers to accommodate Spanish-speaking Participants, as needed, and/or utilize language interpretation or translation services as necessary.

At the Department’s request, Contractor shall provide job description materials used to recruit and select Interviewers.

Contractor shall revise job description materials as requested by the Department.

DELIVERABLE: Recruitment and hiring of Interviewers to administer applicable Surveys upon completion of required background and Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) checks.

DUE: Monthly in the Monthly Status Report Background Checks for Interviewers Contractor shall conduct the following background checks for all Interviewers prior to permitting them to conduct Surveys:

Colorado Criminal Background Investigation Nationwide/Federal background check Motor Vehicle Records (MVR) check to verify a valid driver’s license and vehicle registration Contractor shall not use any person as an Interviewer if the person has been convicted of any felony or misdemeanor.

At the Department’s request, Contractor shall provide documentation of completed background and MVR checks.

Contractor shall provide release-of-information forms to prospective Interviewers.

Upon completion of the form, Contractor shall provide the Department with the Interviewer’s name, contact information, and qualifications relevant to administering the Surveys.

Training Interviewers Contractor shall assist the Department in facilitating Interviewer training using Department-approved training materials and protocols.

The training shall take place remotely using approved video conference technology For NCI-AD and NCI-IDD Surveys, Contractor shall provide training consistent with National Core Indicators requirements.

For the Children’s Waiver Satisfaction Survey (CWSS), Contractor shall deliver Department-approved, survey-specific training addressing child- and family-centered interviewing and consent procedures.

Contractor shall set up meeting times, arrange scheduling invitations, and provide training logistics to Interviewers and the Department.

All Interviewers shall attend required training prior to conducting interviews.

Interviewer Training shall include, but not be limited to:

The applicable NCI-AD and NCI-IDD Survey and interview protocols.

State-specific and Departmental needs for interviews.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

Accommodation for individuals with disabilities in compliance with all applicable State and Federal laws.

How to use electronic tools to collect and transmit interview data.

Guidance on the NCI-AD and NCI-IDD Survey questions, strategies, and cultural competence training.

Changes to regulations, modifications to Surveys, and new processes that have been put into place since the last Survey was conducted.

The Contractor shall ensure that all Interviewers administering the Children’s Waiver Satisfaction Survey (CWSS) complete all HCPF-required trainings prior to conducting survey activities. Trainings may include, but are not limited to, survey administration procedures, survey protocols and processes, use of survey devices and technology, confidentiality and data security requirements, cultural competency, Medicaid program knowledge, Tribal considerations, mandatory reporting requirements, and person-centered language.

Other subjects as requested by the Department.

Conducting Interviews Contractor shall ensure that trained Interviewers conduct face-to-face and/or remote survey administration (including telephone or video conference) in accordance with approved training, Contractor protocols, and Department requirements for applicable Surveys.

Contractor shall assign Participants and, when applicable, their proxies or legal guardians, to Interviewers based on geographic region and operational factors.

Contractor shall ensure that Interviews are conducted in locations convenient to Participants, including residences, community locations, or caregiving facilities.

Prior to conducting an interview, Contractor shall ensure each Participant completes Department-approved written consent.

Contractor shall ensure that Interviewers enter Participant responses and notes into Department-approved systems using Contractor-provided devices.

The Department will not reimburse the Contractor or Interviewers for costs associated with survey administration, including Interviewer travel, time, or training.

Language Translation and Disability Accommodations Contractor’s Interviewers shall conduct interviews in the language requested by the Participant or proxy.

Contractor shall provide interpretation services, including sign-language services or other languages, using Contractor staff or third-party interpretation services as necessary.

Contractor shall provide reasonable accommodations for Participants with disabilities in compliance with applicable State and Federal laws.

Quality Assurance and Field Oversight Contractor shall conduct field-level quality assurance activities, including mentor observation and verification calls for a minimum of five percent (5%) of completed interviews.

Contractor shall create a Field Quality Assurance Summary that documents quality assurance activities and corrective actions taken, if applicable.

Contractor shall provide the Field Quality Assurance Summary to the Department.

DELIVERABLE: Field Quality Assurance Summary DUE: Monthly within the Monthly Status Report Survey Devices and Software Contractor shall provide and maintain tablet computers, laptop computers, or similar Department-approved devices for use by Interviewers to conduct Surveys and enter responses via Department-provided survey links.

Contractor shall provide and maintain communication software and services necessary for Interviewers to conduct Surveys remotely, including telephone and video conference capabilities.

Contractor-provided devices and communication software shall be HIPAA-compliant, configured to protect personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI), and used in accordance with applicable State and Federal privacy and security requirements.

Contractor shall ensure that Interviewers are trained on the proper use of devices and communication software and on confidentiality and privacy requirements during survey administration.

Contractor shall provide basic technical support to Interviewers related to device functionality and communication software use during survey administration.

Contractor shall not store survey response data on Contractor-owned devices or systems. All survey responses shall be entered directly into Department-provided systems as directed by the Department.

Please describe Offeror’s approach to the Work listed in Section 3.2.

Additional Services The Department may, at its discretion, request Contractor to perform the following additional services. To initiate the following services, the Department will issue an Option Letter substantially similar to Appendix B, Draft Contract, Exhibit F, Sample Option Letter.

Sample List Management Each State Fiscal Year (SFY), and in accordance with the applicable survey(s) administered during that SFY, the Department will provide Contractor with a sample list proportionate to the number of targeted surveys to be completed, based on the number of Members enrolled in each Waiver within the defined service areas, for the Children’s Waiver Satisfaction Survey (CWSS), National Core Indicators – Aging and Disabilities (NCI-AD), and National Core Indicators – Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (NCI-IDD) Surveys. The sample lists represent the pool of potentially eligible Participants for the Surveys. In addition, the Department will provide Contractor with background information on the programs and contact information for Participants and their legal guardians, when applicable.

Contractor shall analyze all sample lists to identify questions or concerns that require further discussion with the Department. Contractor shall provide specific information in writing to the Department regarding potential problems with the sample lists that could adversely impact conducting interviews and shall work with the Department to resolve any such issues.

The Department may provide additional sample lists if a Participant’s contact information is incorrect. The Department, at its sole discretion, may provide updated contact information for Participants and legal guardians if the information is incorrect.

Each SFY and for each of the applicable Surveys administered during that SFY, Contractor shall create assignments for all potentially valid and eligible sample list entries in preparation for data collection, including the following:

Address Mapping Contractor shall create a geographic representation of the locations of, at a minimum, 5,500 potential interviewees per survey according to their addresses, with mapping conducted proportionate to the number of targeted surveys to be completed based on Member enrollment by Waiver and defined service area.

Contractor shall conduct additional Participant mapping if there is a significant decline in interviews.

The Department may review Address Mapping upon request.

Territory Designation Contractor shall analyze the locations of clusters of the Member population and determine the number of Interviewers needed in specific areas.

Territory designation shall be proportionate to the number of targeted surveys to be completed based on Member enrollment by Waiver and defined service area, and includes defining what constitutes a territory and distribution of potential Participants.

The Department may review Territory Designation upon request.

Assignment Mapping Contractor shall generate Interviewer assignment paperwork for all applicable Surveys administered during each State Fiscal Year (SFY). Assignment materials shall include, at a minimum, the following information, broken out by Interviewer:

Name of the Participant to be interviewed Participant’s address Contact information for the Participant’s legal guardian, when applicable Contractor shall develop and maintain internal databases to manage sample lists and track individual Participant outcomes throughout data collection for all applicable Surveys, including the Children’s Waiver Satisfaction Survey (CWSS), National Core Indicators – Aging and Disabilities (NCI-AD), and National Core Indicators – Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (NCI-IDD).

The Department may review Interviewer Assignment Mapping upon request.

Confirming Participants Prior to contacting Participants, Contractor shall participate with the Department in meetings and presentations with Case Management Agency leadership, as applicable to the Survey(s) administered during the State Fiscal Year (SFY), to discuss survey timelines, project goals and expectations, provide Contractor and Department contact information, and respond to questions.

For the National Core Indicators – Aging and Disabilities (NCI-AD) and National Core Indicators – Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (NCI-IDD) Surveys, Contractor shall contact Participants from the sample lists to identify Participants willing to participate in the Surveys, with a target of up to 1,255 completed interviews for NCI-AD and 1,100 completed interviews for NCI-IDD, as applicable based on the survey administration cycle.

For the Children’s Waiver Satisfaction Survey (CWSS), Contractor shall contact Participants from the sample lists to identify Participants willing to participate in the Survey, with a projected target range of approximately 500–600 completed interviews, as applicable based on the survey administration cycle.

Contractor shall make all appropriate efforts to reach interview targets for each defined service area. If a target cannot be reached due to small enrollment counts or other limitations, Contractor shall document all interview dispositions and provide the resulting margin of error or limitations of the results for the affected service areas.

Contractor shall request, in writing, additional samples of the applicable populations if Contractor is at risk of not meeting the targeted number of completed interviews for any Survey.

Prior to conducting an interview, Contractor shall provide and ensure that each Participant completes written consent, either on paper or electronically, using consent forms approved by the Department. Electronic consent forms shall be programmed into online survey software agreed upon by the Department and Contractor. Interviewers shall complete required fields within the survey system upon Participant agreement to participate.

Contractor shall create a Draft Template Consent Form that informs the Interviewer that their background check information may be released to the State upon request.

Contractor shall submit the Draft Template Consent Form to the Department for review and approval prior to use with participants.

DELIVERABLE: Draft Template Consent Form DUE: Ten Business after the Contract Effective Date, unless otherwise extended in writing by the Department The Department will provide feedback on the Draft Template Consent Form. Contractor shall update the Consent Form based on Department feedback and provide a Final Template Consent form for review and approval.

DELIVERABLE: Final Template Consent Form DUE: Five Business Days after receipt of Department feedback on the Draft Template Consent Form Survey and Databases Contractor shall create and maintain tracking database(s), or use existing tracking database(s), to support Interviewer data collection for all applicable Surveys administered during each State Fiscal Year (SFY), including the Children’s Waiver Satisfaction Survey (CWSS), National Core Indicators – Aging and Disabilities (NCI-AD), and National Core Indicators – Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (NCI-IDD). Interviewers shall use tablets or other Department-approved devices to conduct surveys at various interview locations.

The tracking database(s) shall reflect the most current versions of the applicable Surveys administered during the SFY, including updated NCI-AD and NCI-IDD instruments and any Department-approved CWSS instruments.

Contractor shall program Surveys into a software system such as a Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) software management system, or an equivalent system, for all applicable Surveys.

At the Department’s request, Contractor shall provide a copy of survey programming scripts and associated files that may be imported into or otherwise used within another CAPI system.

Annually, Contractor shall ensure that the tracking database(s) include all required and updated background information questions for each applicable Survey administered during the SFY. Contractor shall also update the database(s) to meet Department-specific reporting and operational needs.

The tracking database(s) shall be developed to perform all the following functions:

Importing daily data files from the CAPI software system.

Checking for data entry errors, including automated error flagging to indicate to the Interviewer when a Survey question is missed or when invalid data are entered.

Tracking disposition status for each record.

Generating weekly data collection and progress reports.

Contractor shall create Weekly Data Reports for all applicable Surveys administered during the SFY, including NCI-AD, NCI-IDD, and CWSS, as applicable.

DELIVERABLE: Weekly Data Reports DUE: Weekly, on Mondays, beginning at the start of survey administration as defined in the approved work plan, unless otherwise extended in writing by the Department Contractor shall import Participant sample lists into the tracking database(s) in accordance with the Department’s sample list specifications, including preparation of sample lists for mapping and creation of Interviewer assignment sheets.

Contractor shall modify Survey programming annually to accommodate updates to NCI-AD and NCI-IDD instruments and to incorporate background items or Survey content that cannot be retrieved from Colorado’s data systems. Contractor shall also modify CWSS programming as needed based on Department-approved updates.

Final Data Submission For the National Core Indicators – Aging and Disabilities (NCI-AD) and National Core Indicators – Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (NCI-IDD) Surveys, Contractor shall enter all required Survey data into the Online Data Entry Survey Application (ODESA) in accordance with NCI requirements.

For the Children’s Waiver Satisfaction Survey (CWSS), Contractor shall submit Survey data in the format, system, and timeline specified in the approved work plan.

DELIVERABLE: Final Data Submission for applicable Surveys DUE: For NCI-AD and NCI-IDD Surveys, final data submission shall be completed annually by June 30, unless otherwise extended in writing by the Department. For CWSS, final data submission shall occur in accordance with the timeline defined in the approved work plan. Contractor shall report completion of this deliverable in the Survey Administration Summary and Final Data Report For the National Core Indicators – Aging and Disabilities (NCI-AD) and National Core Indicators – Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (NCI-IDD) Surveys, Contractor shall generate an ODESA-produced data file and provide the file to the Department in accordance with NCI requirements.

For the Children’s Waiver Satisfaction Survey (CWSS), Contractor shall provide Survey data files to the Department in the format and manner specified in the approved work plan.

DELIVERABLE: Survey data file(s) for applicable Surveys (ODESA-generated files for NCI-AD and NCI-IDD; work plan–specified format for CWSS) DUE: For NCI-AD and NCI-IDD Surveys, annually by June 30, unless otherwise extended in writing by the Department. For CWSS, in accordance with the timeline defined in the approved work plan Survey Administration Summary and Final Data Report Contractor shall provide a Survey Administration Summary and Final Data Report at the conclusion of each survey cycle. The report shall include the following information, as applicable to the Survey(s) administered:

A summary of the survey administration cycle, including successes and challenges encountered.

Recommendations and Contractor-identified needs for continued or improved administration in future survey cycles.

Results of Quality Assurance testing and any findings identified during survey administration.

The number of complaints received regarding Interviewers, including a summary of complaints and resolution actions.

Response rates by specified Waiver and/or target population.

Response rates by defined service area, where applicable.

A summary of interviews completed, and interviews not held. If an interview was not held after contact with a Participant, the reason shall be documented.

For NCI-AD and NCI-IDD Surveys, the report shall also confirm completion of data submission into the Online Data Entry Survey Application (ODESA) in accordance with Contract requirements. For the CWSS, data submission confirmation shall be documented in accordance with the approved work plan.

DELIVERABLE: Survey Administration Summary and Final Data Report DUE: For NCI-AD and NCI-IDD Surveys, no later than June 30 following the applicable survey cycle, unless otherwise extended in writing by the Department. For CWSS, no later than the conclusion of the survey cycle.

Provide Offeror’s approach to the work listed in Section 3.2.4.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Contractor shall provide all Reports listed in this Section in the format and containing the information directed by the Department for all applicable Surveys administered during each State Fiscal Year (SFY), including the Children’s Waiver Satisfaction Survey (CWSS), National Core Indicators – Aging and Disabilities (NCI-AD), and National Core Indicators – Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (NCI-IDD).

Weekly Progress Report Contractor shall provide a Weekly Progress Report throughout survey administration for each applicable Survey. The report shall show response rates by specified Waiver and/or target population, as applicable to the Survey being administered. The report shall also detail interviews that were completed and interviews that were not held. If an interview was not held, Contractor shall include the reason.

DELIVERABLE: Weekly Status Report DUE: Weekly, no later than 3:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time each Monday, beginning after survey launch, with the launch date determined by the approved survey work plan Monthly Status Report Contractor shall provide a Monthly Status Report including, as applicable to the Survey(s) administered during the reporting period:

A summary of Interviewer staffing levels, background check status, training completion, quality assurance activities, and scheduling issues.

Summary of completed, ongoing, and upcoming project activities.

Interviewer staffing levels, including active Interviewers, Interviewer locations or service areas, and any staffing changes.

Recruitment, hiring, background checks, MVR checks, and training completion status.

Survey completion progress toward target numbers, including completed interviews by Survey type.

Quality assurance activities, including observations, verification calls, log monitoring, data audits, and corrective actions, if applicable.

Field issues, barriers, complaints, unmet needs, ANE reports, and actions taken or pending.

Scheduling issues, technology barriers, accommodation needs, and actions taken to resolve them.

Status of background information collection, data cleaning, survey programming, or other data-related activities, as applicable.

Updated project timeline and upcoming activities.

DELIVERABLE: Monthly Status Report DUE: Monthly, no later than the fifth (5th) day of the following month Accessibility Requirements All work performed as a result of this solicitation must comply with all applicable provisions of §§24-85-101, et seq., C.R.S., and the Accessibility Standards for Individuals with a Disability, as established by the Office Of Information Technology pursuant to Section §24-85-103 (2.5), C.R.S. and 3) all State of Colorado technology standards related to technology accessibility and with Level AA of the most current version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), incorporated in the State of Colorado technology standards.

Describe how the Offeror will meet or exceed the accessibility requirements detailed in Section 3.5 of this RFP.

Compensation and Invoicing Compensation The compensation under the Contract shall consist of fixed fees for Deliverables and Monthly Survey payments.

Survey Deliverable Payment The NCI and Quality Survey Deliverable Payment under the Contract shall consist of payments for each Deliverable Rates. Contractor shall receive payment upon the Department’s approval of each Deliverable and acceptance of the Contractor’s invoice containing that Deliverable.

The amount payable for each Deliverable Rate will be included in the Contract as a fixed dollar amount based on Contractor's proposed Total Deliverable Payment. The amount payable for each Deliverable shall be calculated the total proposed annual payment as bid by the Contractor.

Monthly NCI and quality Survey Payment Contractor shall receive a Monthly Survey Payment based on the number of completed Surveys per month.

The Monthly Survey Payment shall be calculated by multiplying the number of Surveys completed that month by the Survey Rate.

A Survey shall be considered complete only upon Contractor’s completion of the Survey.

Contractor shall not complete any NCI-AD, NCI-IDD, or CWSS Surveys during a year beyond the maximum funding allowed by the Contract for that year. Therefore, Contractor shall not complete surveys without the Department’s permission as outlined below:

Before conducting interviews greater than maximum funding, the Department may in its sole discretion determine that the Contractor needs to conduct a greater number of Interviews. Contractor shall not conduct additional Interviews until it receives written permission from the Department to proceed with the interviews and, the Contract has been amended via an Amendment or Option Letter to add additional funding for the interviews.

The Department may, at its sole discretion, increase the maximum amount of funding available for that year using an Option Letter or Amendment.

Invoicing and Payment Procedures The Contractor shall invoice the Department on a monthly basis, by the 15th Business Day of the month following the month for which the invoice covers, except for the end of any applicable SFY, in which the Department may request an invoice to be submitted by a different date. The Contractor shall not invoice the Department for a month prior to the last day of that month.

Contractor shall invoice each project separately for the Department’s tracking of deliverables and payments.

NCI and CWSS Survey Invoice Each invoice shall contain all the following for the month for which the invoice covers:

The number of NCI-AD, NCI-IDD, or CWSS Surveys completed that month.

The NCI-AD, NCI-IDD, or CWSS Survey Rate.

The total amount due that month for all NCI-AD, NCI-IDD, or CWSS Surveys.

The amount for the completed Deliverables.

The total amount due for the month.

Payment of Invoices The Department shall remit payment to the Contractor, for all amounts shown on an invoice, after the Department’s acceptance of that invoice. Acceptance of an invoice shall not imply the acceptance or sufficiency of any work performed or deliverables submitted to the Department during the month for which the invoice covers or any other month. The Department shall not make any payment on an invoice prior to its acceptance of that invoice.

The Department will review the submitted invoice, and compare the information contained in the invoice to the Department’s information. The Department will only accept an invoice after it has reviewed the information contained on the invoice and determined that all amounts are correct.

In the event that the Department determines that all information on an invoice is correct, the Department shall notify the Contractor of its acceptance of the invoice, in writing.

In the event that the Department determines that any information on an invoice is incorrect, the Department will notify the Contractor of this determination and what is incorrect on the invoice. The Contractor shall correct any information the Department determined to be incorrect and resubmit that invoice to the Department for review.

The Department will review the invoice to ensure that all corrections have been made.

If all information on the resubmitted invoice is correct, the Department will accept the invoice.

If any information on the resubmitted invoice is still incorrect, then the Department will return the invoice to the Contractor for correction and resubmission.

In the event that the Contractor believes that the calculation or determination of any payment is incorrect, the Contractor shall notify the Department of the error within 30 days of receipt of the payment or notification of the determination of the payment, as appropriate. The Department will review the information presented by the Contractor and may make changes based on this review. The determination or calculation that results from the Department’s review shall be final. No disputed payment shall be due until after the Department has concluded its review.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Contract, all payments for the final month of the Contract shall be paid to the Contractor no sooner than 10 days after the Department has determined that the Contractor has completed all of the requirements of the Closeout Period.

Budget The Department has a maximum available amount for each year of this project. Any proposal that has a total price that exceeds the Department’s maximum available amount for SFY 2026-27 shall be rejected without further consideration. The Department’s maximum available amount for this project is:

SFY 2026-27 - $400,000.00

SFY 2027-28 - $340,000.00

SFY 2028-29 - $340,000.00

SFY 2029-30 - $340,000.00

SFY 2030-31 - $340,000.00

EVALUATION METHODOLOGY

Evaluation Process The Department will conduct a comprehensive, thorough, complete and impartial evaluation of each proposal received.

The Department will select an Offeror in compliance with C.R.S. §24-103-203(7), which states, “The award shall be made to the responsible offeror whose proposal is determined in writing to be the most advantageous to the state, taking into consideration the price and evaluation factors set forth in the request for proposal.”

Evaluation Committee An Evaluation Committee will be established utilizing measures to ensure the integrity of the evaluation process. These measures include the following:

Selecting committee members who do not have a conflict of interest regarding this solicitation.

Facilitating the independent review of proposals.

Requiring the evaluation of the proposals to be based strictly on the content of the proposals.

Ensuring the fair and impartial treatment of all Offerors.

The objective of the Evaluation Committee is to conduct reviews of the proposals that have been submitted, to hold frank and detailed discussions among themselves, and to recommend an Offeror for award.

Proposals will be evaluated by the Evaluation Committee using the evaluation criteria in Section 5.4. The evaluators will consider whether all critical elements described in the solicitation have been addressed, the capabilities of the Offeror, the quality of the approach and/or solution proposed, the price and any other aspect determined relevant by the Department.

The Evaluation Committee will determine which proposal is the most advantageous to the State of Colorado by performing a value analysis.

The Evaluation Committee will perform a value analysis by comparing the technical differences among proposals and whether these differences justify paying the cost differential provided in each Offeror’s proposal.

The Evaluation Committee will have discretion in determining the manner and extent to which it will utilize technical and cost evaluation results. For example, the Evaluation Committee may award to an Offeror with higher costs if the Committee determines that the benefits of the technical differences for that Offeror’s proposal outweigh the proposal’s cost difference.

The Evaluation Committee may, if it deems necessary, request clarifications, conduct discussions or oral presentations, or request best and final offers. The Evaluation Committee may adjust its scoring based on the results of such activities. However, proposals may be reviewed and determinations made without such activities. Offerors should be aware that the opportunity for further explanation might not exist; therefore, it is important that all proposal submissions are complete.

If only one bid or proposal is received in response to a solicitation, an award may be made to the single bidder or offeror if the procurement official finds that the price submitted is fair and reasonable and that other prospective bidders or offerors had reasonable opportunity to respond.

Compliance It is the Offeror’s responsibility to ensure that Offeror’s proposal is complete in accordance with the direction provided within all solicitation documents. Failure of an Offeror to provide any required information and/or failure to follow the response format set forth in Appendix A, Administrative Information, may result in the disqualification of that Offeror’s proposal.

Proposal Evaluation Criteria The evaluation criteria to be used in evaluating the proposals are as follows:

Organizational Experience Approach to National Core Indicators (NCI) and Children’s Waiver Satisfaction Survey Approach to Sample List Management, Address Mapping, Territory Designation, Assignment Mapping, Confirming Participants, Survey and Databases Overall risk to the State (see Appendix A, Section 4.10) Price Solicitation #: RFP UHAA 2026000258 Page 2 of 25 image1.png