RFP 202605084 Q

This is a Request for Proposals (RFP) document from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child and Family Services, soliciting Early Care and Education Technical Assistance services under RFP 202605084. The scope of work requires the selected vendor to provide coaching, navigation, and facilitation of professional learning communities for early childhood educators and ECE programs across nine designated regions in Maine. The contractor must employ a maximum of nine full-time equivalent ECE TA Specialists (one per region) and one half-time TA Supervisor. Key deliverables include on-site and virtual coaching focused on health and safety, program quality, staff professional development, early learning standards, program leadership, and business practices; coordination and facilitation of a minimum of ten group professional learning sessions per year per specialist; monthly data reporting; and quarterly performance measure submissions. Questions regarding the proposal are due July 8, 2026, with proposals due August 7, 2026. The initial contract period runs from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2028, with two optional renewal periods covering 2029-2030 and 2031. One contract will be awarded.

The RFP employs a 100-point evaluation scale with 30 points allocated to Organization Qualifications and Experience, 30 points to Proposed Services, and 40 points to Cost Proposal, where the lowest cost receives full points with others scoring proportionally. Proposals must submit fixed cost projections covering all initial and renewal periods. Mandatory performance measures require the contractor to contact 95 percent of requesting providers within two business days of Department referral and ensure 90 percent of coaching services include a Classroom Assessment Scoring System observation or Department-approved assessment tool. Staffing requirements mandate that ECE TA Specialists hold a bachelor's degree in early childhood education or a related field with a minimum of five years of ECE experience, while the TA Supervisor must hold a master's degree with five years of TA services and ten years of total ECE experience. Background checks per the Department's State Service Contract, Rider D, Section 13, are mandatory. Proposals are submitted via the Vendor Self Service System.