rfp-dmavs-2027-01---starbase-new-hampshire-2027.pdf

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AFFAIRS & VETERANS SERVICES

NEW HAMPSHIRE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

STARBASE NEW HAMPSHIRE - 2027

RFP-DMAVS-2027-01

RFP-DMAVS-2027-01 STARBASE New Hampshire – 2027 2

Table of Contents

SECTION 1 – Overview and Schedule

A. Executive Summary:

B. Schedule

C. Description of Agency Issuing the Request for Proposals

D. Vendor Instructions

SECTION 2 – Requirements and Scope of Work

A. Vendor Certifications and Requirements:

B. STARBASE 2.0

C. Scope of Work

SECTION 3 -- Contract Terms and Conditions

A. Non-Exclusive Contract

B. Award

C. Standard Contract Terms

SECTION 4 –Request for Proposal Process

A. Agency Point of Contact/Restriction of Contact with Agency Employees

B. Vendor Inquiries

SECTION 5 – RFP Terms and Conditions

A. Debarment

B. Proposal Preparation Cost

C. Validity of Proposal

D. RFP Addendum

E. Non-Collusion

F. Property of the Agency

G. Proposal Confidentiality

H. Public Disclosure

I. Electronic Posting of RFP Results and Resulting Contract

J. Non-Commitment

K. Ethical Requirements

L. Challenges to Identification of Selected Vendor

SECTION 6 – Evaluation of Proposals

RFP-DMAVS-2027-01 STARBASE New Hampshire – 2027 3

A. Criteria for Evaluation and Scoring

B. Planned Evaluations Steps

C. Final Selection

D. Rights of the Agency in Accepting and Evaluating Proposals

SECTION 7 – Process for Submitting a Proposal

A. Proposal Submission, Deadline, and Location Instructions

SECTION 8 – Proposal Content and Requirements

A. Technical Proposal

B. Price Proposal

RFP-DMAVS-2027-01 STARBASE New Hampshire – 2027 4

SECTION 1 – Overview and Schedule

A. Executive Summary:

The State of New Hampshire, Department of Military Affairs and Veterans Services (hereinafter referred to as the “Department”) is soliciting proposals from qualified Non-profit organizations to provide the services and expertise necessary for the operation and management of the New Hampshire Army National Guard (NHARNG) component of the DoD STARBASE Program known as “STARBASE New Hampshire.” The purpose of STARBASE New Hampshire (hereinafter referred to as the “Academy”) is to raise the interest and improve the knowledge and skills of at-risk youth in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by exposing them to the technological environment and positive role models found on military bases, installations, and facilities.

Vendors should be well versed in managing educational programs and should be able to provide instruction to students from the fifth to eighth grades. In addition, other related services should include working with the Department to build partnerships with local schools, businesses, and organizations to maximize participation; developing approved curricula based on Department of Defense (DOD) guidance and instruction; and promoting professional development of Academy staff.

The objectives for the resulting contract will be to:

a. Provide a minimum of 800 total contact hours of class time per year.

b. Conduct a minimum of 4 Community Outreach Activities per year.

c. Submit quarterly reports to the Department.

d. Develop and implement curricula as approved by the DoD STARBASE Program.

e. Meet and maintain the requirements needed for the implementation of STARBASE

2.0.

Services will primarily be delivered at the Edward Cross Training Complex (ECTC) in Pembroke, NH. However, STARBASE staff may be expected to travel regularly throughout the State and attend annual conferences and trainings within the Continental United States as required by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (OASD (M&RA)).

Proposals budgeting for more than $1,150,000.00 ($575,000.00 per year) for the initial term will not be considered. It is anticipated that services will be provided upon Governor and Executive Council (G&C) approval through September 30, 2028. The option for One (1) two-year renewal will be based upon satisfactory completion of each contract year and is contingent upon G&C approval and the availability of Federal funding.

B. Schedule The following table provides a Schedule of Events for this RFP through contract finalization and approval. The Agency reserves the right to amend this Schedule at its sole discretion and at any time through a published Addendum.

RFP-DMAVS-2027-01 STARBASE New Hampshire – 2027 5

EVENT DATE LOCAL

TIME

RFP Released (Advertisement) 06/24/26 3:00 PM Vendor Inquiry Period Ends 07/08/26 12:00 PM Final Agency Responses to Inquiries 07/13/26 3:00 PM Proposal Due 07/17/26 12:00 PM Estimated Notification of Selection TBD TBD

C. Description of Agency Issuing the Request for Proposals In accordance with Title VIII of the New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated (RSA), the Department oversees military affairs and veterans services provided by the State. The NHARNG is one of several divisions within the Department that works to achieve the Mission Triad of securing the homeland; fighting and winning America’s wars; and building enduring partnerships at the local, state, federal, and international levels.

The Academy will partner with local schools within the State to provide educational opportunities to at-risk youth who are in danger of or currently are falling behind academically. As an organization that relies heavily on STEM, the NHARNG will strive to develop a better understanding of and appreciation for these subjects. At the same time, the program will highlight career opportunities within these fields and provide mentorship to guide students to becoming upstanding citizens of their communities.

D. Vendor Instructions In this RFP "Vendor" means a person or entity who offers products or services for sale. "Selected vendor" means the qualified Bidder which has been identified by the Agency as having received the best score for its proposal according to the criteria set forth in this RFP.

Interested vendors must read the entire RFP and submit the required documents in the manner specified in the RFP. Vendors are responsible for reviewing the most updated information related to this RFP before submitting proposals.

SECTION 2 – Requirements and Scope of Work

A. Vendor Certifications and Requirements:

All Vendors shall be duly registered as a Vendor authorized to conduct business in the State of New Hampshire:

i. STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE VENDOR APPLICATION:

Vendors shall have a completed Vendor Application and Alternate W-9 Form which shall be on file with the State of New Hampshire Bureau of Purchase and

RFP-DMAVS-2027-01 STARBASE New Hampshire – 2027 6

Property. See the following website for information on obtaining and filing the required forms:

https://www.das.nh.gov/purchasing/docs/info/Vendor-Application-and- W9.pdf

ii. REGISTRATION WITH THE NEW HAMPSHIRE SECRETARY OF STATE:

A contract award will only be considered/awarded to a Vendor who is registered to do business and is in good standing with the State of New Hampshire. Please visit the following website to find out more about the requirements for registration with the NH Secretary of State:

https://quickstart.sos.nh.gov/online

iii. CONFIDENTIALITY & CRIMINAL RECORD:

The Vendor must have a State of New Hampshire Criminal Record Check Authorization Form signed by each of their employees. These forms shall be returned to the State Contracting Officer prior to the start of any employment assignment.

iv. CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE:

The successful Vendor will be required to submit proof of coverage prior to entering into a resulting contract. Please see the State Contract Form P-37 included in this packet as Appendix A, and the Exhibit C included with the Scope of Services document for the specific terms regarding insurance.

B. Scope of Work The successful Vendor will be expected to provide educational instruction; hire, supervise, evaluate, and dismiss personnel; perform administrative services; implement information management; and any additional services required to ensure successful implementation of the Academy. The successful Vendor must meet the following deliverables if awarded the resulting contract:

i. Classroom Contact Hours

a. The Academy shall provide a minimum of 750 hours of classroom contact per school year. The total amount of hours shall be divided into 30 equally proportionate classes over a 30-week period. Each class will encompass 5 hours of instruction per day over a 5-day period (Monday through Friday) or 5 hours of instruction 1 day per week for 5 weeks; totaling 25 in-classroom contact hours per class. The Contractor shall complete a minimum of 30 classes of instruction per school year. Each class must range from 25 to 35 students in size.

b. The Academy shall provide a minimum of 50 hours of classroom contact during the summer vacation immediately following the school year. These sessions https://www.das.nh.gov/purchasing/docs/info/Vendor-Application-and-W9.pdf https://www.das.nh.gov/purchasing/docs/info/Vendor-Application-and-W9.pdf https://quickstart.sos.nh.gov/online

RFP-DMAVS-2027-01 STARBASE New Hampshire – 2027 7 follow the same length, location, and curriculum requirements as the sessions offered during the school year. Each class must range from 15 to 35 students in size.

c. All classes shall take place in room 144 at the Edward Cross Training Complex in Pembroke, NH. If tours, demonstrations, or summer program instructional periods are to be conducted outside of the designated classroom, the Contractor must notify the Primary Contact in conjunction with the State Business Office Contracting Officer.

d. A classroom contact hour shall be defined as a 60-minute period of time in which an instructor is actively involved with students or in which a service member is demonstrating, displaying, or teaching students about a STEM application.

e. Instruction will be provided by either two program instructors, one of whom may also be a deputy director, or a program instructor and an instructor assistant. There must be two Contractor personnel in one classroom providing team teaching.

ii. Community Awareness

a. When not in classroom sessions, the Contractor will perform at least 4 community outreach activities in the form of workshops, fostering community partnerships, and teacher training periods. These additional activities will not count as part of the requirement for classroom contact hours.

iii. Curriculum Standards and Activities

a. In accordance with Department of Defense Instruction (DODI) 1025.07, the

Contractor’s lesson plans must follow the approved DoD STARBASE Curriculum and Lesson Plans; include and support STEM subjects; provide engaging, interactive, and motivating activities and experiences for students;

and be reviewed and approved by the OASD (M&RA) STARBASE Program Manager.

b. DoD STARBASE provides the approved standards, objectives, and activities (SOA) lesson plans and the curriculum implementation guide. Only approved lesson plans from the SOA may be taught during the Academy school year. The SOA is subject to change as new curricula are introduced and outdated curricula are retired.

c. The Contractor may submit lesson plan proposals to the OASD, M&RA STARBASE Program Manager. Proposals will undergo a rigorous review to

RFP-DMAVS-2027-01 STARBASE New Hampshire – 2027 8 ensure that they are scientifically accurate, and relevant to students’ academic needs based on grade-specific national educational standards.

iv. Reporting

a. The Contractor shall prepare monthly reports and provide them to the Primary

Contact for review no later than 10 calendar days following the end of each quarter. These reports shall be prepared in accordance with DoD STARBASE Program requirements as further specified in DODI 1025.07 and must contain at a minimum:

1. 5-day schedule of DoD STARBASE Activities for the quarter.

2. District(s) and schools served.

3. Name and number of schools served.

4. Number of students served.

5. Pre- and post-class assessment scores to include an average change in scores for the entire class.

6. Number and type of classes conducted.

7. Update on fundraising opportunities and community collaborations.

8. Volunteers for:

• Tours – site of tour and number of volunteers.

• Graduation – guest speaker, number of adults (family, guardians, grandparents) attending.

b. The Contractor shall report all labor hours (including subcontractor labor hours) required for performance of services provided under this Agreement via a secure data collection site. The Contractor is required to completely fill in all required data fields at the data collection site.

c. The Contractor shall maintain records of all audits and inspections and provide them to the Primary Contact upon their completion. These records shall indicate the nature of the number of observations made, the number and type of deficiencies found, and the nature of corrective and preventive actions taken as appropriate.

v. Further Description

a. These deliverables and the required services for the resulting contract are further described in the attached Exhibit B, Scope of Services and DODI 1025.07.

C. STARBASE 2.0

STARBASE 2.0 is an advanced DoD STARBASE Program that will combine STEM activities with a relationship-rich, school-based afterschool and extracurricular environment for middle

RFP-DMAVS-2027-01 STARBASE New Hampshire – 2027 9 school students. It will comprise of an afterschool STEM coaching approach that solidifies students’ attachment to and engagement with school. The program will take place in partnering schools selected by the Director in coordination with the Primary Contact. STARBASE 2.0 will be highly structured and help support school goals, provide safe environments for students, improve student-teacher relationships, and empower schools through student referrals.

The Contractor must ensure the Academy meets or exceeds the requirements needed to implement this advanced program in accordance with DODI 1025.07 and the DoD STARBASE 2.0 Program Guide. The ability to expand must be demonstrated from the conclusion of the Academy’s first year of operation throughout the remainder of the Agreement. This expansion is not required in the first year of operation.

The Contractor shall provide STEM coaches on a 5:1 ratio for the activity chosen. This activity must be chosen by the Director in coordination with the Primary Contact.

Each STARBASE 2.0 session is an average of 4 to 8 hours per month. A minimum of 1 session is required per STARBASE school year beginning in the second year of the Academy’s operation. It may be expanded to a period of 6 to 10 weeks, and session topics may cover any STEM subject.

SECTION 3 -- Contract Terms and Conditions

A. Non-Exclusive Contract Any resulting Contract from this RFP will be a non-exclusive Contract. The Agency reserves the right, at its discretion, to retain other contractors to provide any of the services or deliverables identified in this RFP or make an award by item, part or portion of an item, group of items, or total Proposal.

B. Award If the Agency decides to award a contract as a result of this RFP process, any award is contingent upon approval of the contract by the Governor and Executive Council of the State of New Hampshire and upon continued appropriation of funding for the contract.

C. Standard Contract Terms The Agency will require the selected vendor to execute a contract using the Standard Terms and Conditions of the State of New Hampshire (Form P-37) which is attached as Appendix A. In no event is a vendor to submit its own standard contract terms and conditions as a replacement for the State’s terms in response to this solicitation.

The terms of this RFP and the selected vendor’s Proposal will be used to form the terms of any resulting contract. The resulting contract may incorporate some or all of the selected vendor’s Proposal. References in the P-37 to Exhibits A, B and C are references to the required structure of

RFP-DMAVS-2027-01 STARBASE New Hampshire – 2027 10 any resulting contract (Exhibit A – Special Provisions/Amendments to the P-37, Exhibit B – Scope of Services, and Exhibit C – Payment Terms) and are not references to sections of this RFP.

To the extent that a vendor believes that exceptions to the contract terms in Appendix A will be necessary for the vendor to enter into the contract, the vendor must note those issues during the Vendor Inquiry Period, as further described Section 4B.

SECTION 4 –Request for Proposal Process

A. Agency Point of Contact/Restriction of Contact with Agency Employees The sole point of contact for this RFP, from the RFP issue date until the approval of the resulting contract by the Governor and Executive Council is:

Matthew R. Glover, Procurement Technician Email: matthew.r.glover@dmavs.nh.gov

From the date of release of this RFP until an award is made and announced regarding the selection of a vendor, all communication with personnel employed by or under contract with the Agency regarding this RFP is prohibited unless first approved by the RFP Sole Point of Contact.

Agency employees have been directed not to hold conferences and/or discussions concerning this RFP with any potential contractor during the selection process, unless otherwise authorized by the RFP Sole Point of Contact.

Vendors may be disqualified for violating this restriction on communications.

B. Vendor Inquiries All inquiries concerning this RFP, including but not limited to: requests for clarifications, questions, any changes to the RFP, and any exceptions to the contract terms in Form P-37, shall be submitted via email to The Agency Point of Contact specified above. Inquiries must be received by the end of Vendor Inquiry Period (see Section 1-B).

The Vendor must identify the RFP name and number, and include the Vendor’s name, telephone number, and e-mail address.

The Agency will issue responses to properly submitted inquiries on or before the date specified in the Schedule of Events; however, this date is subject to change at The Agency’s discretion. The Agency may consolidate and/or paraphrase questions for sufficiency and clarity. The Agency may, at its discretion, amend this RFP on its own initiative or in response to issues raised by inquiries, as it deems appropriate.

In response to requested exceptions to Form P-37, The Agency will review requested exceptions and accept, reject, or note that it is open to negotiation of the proposed exception mailto:matthew.r.glover@dmavs.nh.gov

RFP-DMAVS-2027-01 STARBASE New Hampshire – 2027 11 at its sole discretion. Questions about or requested exceptions to the RFP, Form P-37 and/or any relevant attachments not raised during the Vendor Inquiry Period are waived.

Oral statements, representations, clarifications, or modifications concerning the RFP shall not be binding upon The Agency. Official responses by The Agency will be made only in writing by the process described above. Vendors shall be responsible for reviewing the most updated information related to this RFP before submitting a proposal.

SECTION 5 – RFP Terms and Conditions

A. Debarment Vendors who are ineligible to bid on proposals, bids or quotes issued by the Department of Administrative Services, Division of Procurement and Support Services pursuant to the provisions of RSA 21-I:11-c shall not be considered eligible for an award under this RFP.

B. Proposal Preparation Cost By submitting a proposal, a vendor agrees that in no event shall the Agency be either responsible for or held liable for any costs incurred by a vendor in the preparation of or in connection with the Proposal, or for work performed prior to the Effective Date of a resulting Contract.

C. Validity of Proposal Proposals must be valid for one hundred and eighty (180) days following the deadline for submission of Proposals in Schedule of Events, or until the Effective Date of any resulting Contract, whichever is later.

D. RFP Addendum The Agency reserves the right to amend this RFP at its discretion, prior to the Proposal submission deadline. In the event of an addendum to this RFP, the Agency, at its sole discretion, may extend the Proposal submission deadline, as it deems appropriate.

E. Non-Collusion The vendor’s signature on a Proposal submitted in response to this RFP guarantees that the prices, terms and conditions, and work quoted have been established without collusion with other Vendors and without effort to preclude the Agency from obtaining the best possible competitive Proposal.

F. Property of the Agency All material received in response to this RFP shall become the property of the Agency and will not be returned to the vendor. Upon contract award, the Agency reserves the right to use any information presented in any Proposal.

RFP-DMAVS-2027-01 STARBASE New Hampshire – 2027 12

G. Proposal Confidentiality Unless necessary for the approval of a contract, the substance of a proposal must remain confidential until the Effective Date of any Contract resulting from this RFP. A vendor’s disclosure or distribution of Proposals other than to the Agency may be grounds for disqualification.

H. Public Disclosure The information submitted in response to this RFP (including all materials submitted in connection with it, such as attachments, exhibits, addenda, and presentations), any resulting contract, and information provided during the contractual relationship may be subject to public disclosure under Right-to-Know law, including RSA 91-A. In addition, in accordance with RSA 9-F:1, any contract entered into as a result of this RFP will be made accessible to the public online via the website Transparent NH (http://www.nh.gov/transparentnh/).

Confidential, commercial or financial information may be exempt from public disclosure under RSA 91-A:5, IV. If a vendor believes any information submitted in response to this RFP should be kept confidential, the vendor must specifically identify that information where it appears in the submission in a manner that draws attention to the designation and must mark/stamp each page of the materials that the vendor claims must be exempt from disclosure as “CONFIDENTIAL.”

Vendors must also provide a letter to the person listed as the point of contact for this RFP, identifying the specific page number and section of the information you consider to be confidential, commercial or financial and providing your rationale for each designation. Marking or designating an entire proposal, attachment or section as confidential shall neither be accepted nor honored by the State. Vendors must also provide a separate copy of the full and complete document, fully redacting those portions and shall note on the applicable page or pages that the redacted portion or portions are “confidential.”

Submissions which do not conform to these instructions by failing to include a redacted copy (if necessary), by failing to include a letter specifying the rationale for each redaction, by failing to designate the redactions in the manner required by these instructions, or by including redactions which are contrary to these instructions or operative law may be rejected by the State as not conforming to the requirements of the proposal.

Pricing, which includes but is not limited to, the administrative costs and other performance guarantees in Proposals or any subsequently awarded contract shall be subject to public disclosure regardless of whether it is marked as confidential.

Notwithstanding a vendor’s designations, the State is obligated under the Right-to-Know law to conduct an independent analysis of the confidentiality of the information submitted in a proposal.

If a request is made to the State to view or receive copies of any portion of the proposal, the State shall first assess what information it is obligated to release. The State will then notify you that a request has been made, indicate what, if any, information the State has assessed is confidential and will not be released, and specify the planned release date of the remaining portions of the proposal.

http://www.nh.gov/transparentnh/

RFP-DMAVS-2027-01 STARBASE New Hampshire – 2027 13

To halt the release of information by the State, a vendor must initiate and provide to the State, prior to the date specified in the notice, a court action in the Superior Court of the State of New Hampshire, at its sole expense, seeking to enjoin the release of the requested information.

By submitting a proposal, vendors acknowledge and agree that:

• The State may disclose any and all portions of the proposal or related materials which are not marked as confidential and/or which have not been specifically explained in the letter to the person identified as the point of contact for this RFP;

• The State is not obligated to comply with a vendor’s designations regarding confidentiality and must conduct an independent analysis to assess the confidentiality of the information submitted in your proposal; and

• The State may, unless otherwise prohibited by court order, release the information on the date specified in the notice described above without any liability to a vendor.

I. Electronic Posting of RFP Results and Resulting Contract At the time of receipt of proposals, the Agency will post the number of responses received with no further information. No later than five (5) business days prior to submission of a contract to the Department of Administrative Services, the Agency will post the ranks or scores of each responding vendor. In the event that the contract does not require Governor & Executive Council approval, the Agency will disclose the rank or score at least 5 business days before final approval of the contract.

Pursuant to RSA 91-A and RSA 9-F:1, the Secretary of State will post to the public any document submitted to G&C for approval, including contracts resulting from this RFP, and posts those documents on its website (https://sos.nh.gov/administration/miscellaneous/governor-executive-council/). By submitting a proposal, vendors acknowledge and agree that, in accordance with the above-mentioned statutes and policies, (and regardless of whether any specific request is made to view any document relating to this RFP), any contract resulting from this RFP that is submitted to G&C for approval will be made accessible to the public online.

J. Non-Commitment Notwithstanding any other provision of this RFP, this RFP does not commit the Agency to award a contract. The Agency reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to reject any and all proposals, or any portions thereof, at any time; to cancel this RFP; and to solicit new proposals under a new acquisition process.

K. Ethical Requirements From the time this RFP is published until a contract is awarded, no vendor shall offer or give, directly or indirectly, any gift, expense reimbursement, or honorarium, as defined by RSA 15-B, to any elected official, public official, public employee, constitutional official, or family member of any such official or employee who will or has selected, evaluated, or awarded an RFP, or similar https://sos.nh.gov/administration/miscellaneous/governor-executive-council/ https://sos.nh.gov/administration/miscellaneous/governor-executive-council/

RFP-DMAVS-2027-01 STARBASE New Hampshire – 2027 14 submission. Any vendor that violates RSA 21-G:38 shall be subject to prosecution for an offense under RSA 640:2. Any vendor who has been convicted of an offense based on conduct in violation of this section, which has not been annulled, or who is subject to a pending criminal charge for such an offense, shall be disqualified from bidding on the RFP, or similar request for submission and every such vendor shall be disqualified from bidding on any RFP or similar request for submission issued by any state agency. A vendor that was disqualified under this section because of a pending criminal charge which is subsequently dismissed, results in an acquittal, or is annulled, may notify the department of administrative services, which shall note that information on the list maintained on the state’s internal intranet system, except in the case of annulment, the information shall be deleted from the list.

L. Challenges to Identification of Selected Vendor Within 5 business days of the Agency’s posting of the rank or score on its website, vendors may, in accordance with RSA 21-G:37, request that the agency review its selection process. The request must be in writing and must specify all points on which the vendor believes the agency erred in its process and shall contain such argument in support of its position as the vendor seeks to present.

In its request for review, a vendor shall not submit, and an agency will not accept nor consider any substantive information that was not included in the original proposal. The agency will respond to the request within 5 business days of its receipt.

SECTION 6 – Evaluation of Proposals

A. Criteria for Evaluation and Scoring The Agency will evaluate each qualified vendor proposal using a scoring scale of 125 points, which will be distributed as set forth in the table below.

CATEGORIES POINTS

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL with the following potential maximum scores for each Technical Proposal category;

Company Profile 15 Project Understanding 15 Ability to Meet Deliverables 45 Implementation Plan 20 Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting 20 Technical Proposal Maximum for each category listed above 115 Cost Proposal Potential Maximum Points 10

TOTAL MAXIMUM POINTS 125

RFP-DMAVS-2027-01 STARBASE New Hampshire – 2027 15

The Agency will select a vendor based upon the criteria and standards contained in this RFP and from applying the weighting in this section. Oral interviews and reference checks, to the extent they are utilized by the Agency, will be used to refine and finalize scores.

If the Agency decides to make an award based on these evaluations, the Agency will notify the selected vendor(s). Should the Agency be unable to reach agreement with the selected vendor(s) during Contract discussions, the Agency may undertake Contract discussions with the next preferred vendor(s) and so on in any combination of contract support, or the Agency may reject all proposals, cancel this RFP, or solicit new Proposals under a new acquisition process.

B. Planned Evaluations Steps The Agency plans to use the following process:

i. Initial Screening

The Agency will conduct an initial screening to verify vendor compliance with the proposal submission requirements set forth in Sections 4, 7 and 8. The Agency may waive or offer a limited opportunity to cure immaterial deviations from the RFP requirements if it is determined to be in the best interest of the State.

ii. Preliminary Technical Scoring of Proposals

The Agency will establish an evaluation team to review for compliance of the minimum requirements as set forth in Section 2. This evaluation team will then review the technical proposals and give a preliminary score to the technical proposals under the guidelines set forth in Section 6.

Should a vendor fail to achieve 70 Points in the preliminary technical scoring, it will receive no further consideration from the evaluation team and the vendor’s price proposal will be returned unopened.

Price proposals will not be reviewed by the evaluation team during the preliminary technical review.

iii. Oral Interviews and Product Demonstrations

If The Agency determines that it is appropriate, Vendors may be invited to oral interviews and/or product demonstrations including demonstrations of any proposed automated systems or technology components. The Agency retains the sole discretion to determine whether to conduct oral interviews, with which Vendors, and the number of interviews.

Vendors are advised that The Agency may decide to conduct interviews with less than all responsive Vendors.

RFP-DMAVS-2027-01 STARBASE New Hampshire – 2027 16

The purpose of oral interviews and product demonstrations is to clarify and expound upon information provided in the written proposals. Vendors are prohibited from altering the basic substance of their proposals during the oral interviews and product demonstrations.

The Agency may ask the Vendor to provide written clarifications of elements in their technical proposal regardless of whether it intends to conduct oral interviews.

Information gained from oral interviews and product demonstrations will be used to refine technical review scores assigned from the initial review of the proposals.

iv. Final Technical Scoring of Proposals

Following oral interviews, product demonstrations, reference checks (if appropriate) and/or review of written clarifications of proposals requested by the Agency, the evaluation team will determine a final score for each technical proposal.

v. Price Proposal Review

Price proposals will be reviewed upon completion of the final technical scoring of proposals. The vendor’s price proposal will be allocated a maximum potential score of 10 points. Vendors are advised that this is not a low bid award and that the scoring of the price proposal will be combined with the scoring of the technical proposal to determine the overall highest scoring vendor.

The following formula will be used to assign points for costs:

𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏’𝐬𝐬 𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏 𝐒𝐒𝐒𝐒𝐒𝐒𝐒𝐒𝐒𝐒 =

𝐋𝐋𝐋𝐋𝐋𝐋𝐋𝐋𝐋𝐋𝐋𝐋 𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏 𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏

𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏’𝐬𝐬 𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏 𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏

× 𝐍𝐍𝐍𝐍𝐍𝐍𝐍𝐍𝐍𝐍𝐍𝐍 𝐨𝐨𝐨𝐨 𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏𝐏 𝐟𝐟𝐟𝐟𝐟𝐟 𝐒𝐒𝐒𝐒𝐒𝐒𝐒𝐒𝐒𝐒

For the purpose of use of this formula, the lowest proposed price is defined as the lowest price proposed by a vendor who has scored above the minimum necessary for consideration on the Technical Score.

C. Final Selection The Agency will conduct a final selection based on the final evaluation of the proposals and begin contract discussions with the selected vendor(s).

D. Rights of the Agency in Accepting and Evaluating Proposals The Agency reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to:

i. Make independent investigations in evaluating proposals;

ii. Request additional information to clarify elements of a proposal;

iii. Waive minor or immaterial deviations from the RFP and contract requirements, if determined to be in the best interest of the State;

iv. Omit any planned evaluation step if, in the Agency’s view, the step is not needed;

v. Reject any and all proposals at any time; and

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vi. Open contract discussions with the second highest scoring vendor and so on, if the Agency is unable to reach an agreement on contract terms with the higher scoring vendor(s).

SECTION 7 – Process for Submitting a Proposal

A. Proposal Submission, Deadline, and Location Instructions

Proposals submitted in response to this RFP must be received no later than the Proposal Due Date and Time specified in the Schedule of Events, herein.

Unless waived as a non-material deviation in accordance with Section 6, late submissions will not be accepted and will be returned to the vendors unopened. Delivery of the Proposals shall be at the vendor’s expense. The time of receipt shall be considered when a Proposal has been officially documented by the Agency, in accordance with its established policies, as having been received at the location designated below. The Agency accepts no responsibility for damaged, mislabeled, or undeliverable mailed or emailed proposals. Any damage that may occur due to shipping shall be the vendor’s responsibility.

Proposals must include one (1) original physical and four (4) physical copies as well as one (1) electronic copy of the Proposal with all Confidential Information fully redacted, as provided for in Section 5H of this RFP.

The price proposal must be labeled clearly and submitted separately in a sealed envelope from the technical proposal.

Proposals must be clearly marked as follows:

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

RESPONSE TO RFP: DMAVS 2027-01

Physical Proposals Physical Proposals must be addressed to:

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AFFAIRS AND VETERANS SERVICES

1 MINUTEMAN WAY, BUILDING 1

CONCORD, NH 03301

Physical Submissions shall include:

• One (1) original and four (4) clearly identified copies of the Proposal including required attachments.

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Electronic Proposals Electronic Proposals must be addressed to:

TO: matthew.r.glover@dmavs.nh.gov

Subject line must include: RESPONSE TO RFP: DMAVS 2027-01

Electronic Submissions must be submitted using the following criteria:

• Searchable PDF Format Files; and

• must be less than 10MB in size.

Exception: If files are greater than 10MB in size, the Vendor will be required to submit their proposal in parts. It is the Vendors responsibility to ensure a complete proposal is submitted.

SECTION 8 – Proposal Content and Requirements

Proposals shall follow the format outlined below and provide the required information set forth in this section:

A. Technical Proposal

i. Letter of Introduction

Include a letter of introduction that includes the following information:

a. Organization name, address, telephone/fax number, web address, and email address.

b. Date of proposal.

c. A statement that the organization can provide the services as requested and will comply with the attached sample P-37 agreement terms and conditions set forth in this request.

ii. Table of Contents Include a Table of Contents that allows the Evaluation Committee to easily access different information within the document.

iii. Glossary of Common Terms Include a glossary defining technical terms and acronyms. It is important that the Agency and the Vendor are interpreting these terms in the same manner.

iv. Organization Profile/Background Provide an organizational profile, mission, and value statements. Include relevant staff experience and related qualifications for providing educational instruction to at-risk youth;

STEM instruction; administration of educational programs; administration of after-school mailto:matthew.r.glover@dmavs.nh.gov

RFP-DMAVS-2027-01 STARBASE New Hampshire – 2027 19 programs; and/or other educational or administrative services for programs geared towards at-risk, late-elementary-school aged children. All profiles must include:

a. The organization’s most recent audited financial statements.

b. A complete list of the organization’s Board of Directors with first name, last name, and affiliation of each member.

c. A complete list of key personnel (those individuals who will be responsible for meeting the terms and conditions of the resulting contract and program) with first name, last name, annual salary, and resume for each person.

v. Implementation and Execution Plan Describe the organization’s plan to achieve the deliverables listed in Section 2 herein.

Clearly and concisely specify the anticipated actions, activities, and/or events the organization plans to undertake to implement and execute an effective Academy.

Demonstrate the organization’s understanding of the requirements outlined in this document and its attachments. Include a description of how the organization will evaluate its progress and the success of the program, as well as how you will report this information to the Agency.

Include your plan for community partnerships that will ensure sustainability of the program. At a minimum, include and address the following:

a. An outline of the approaches to be used and any special expertise your organization may offer to assist in the implementation and execution of the program. Note any special considerations or limitations in achieving the project deliverables.

b. Describe outreach and enrollment efforts to ensure the target audience is informed and participates.

c. Identify the organization’s availability to start, implement, and execute the program.

d. Describe the anticipated evaluation plan including methods of data collection that will be used to compile reports and demonstrate outcomes in accordance with the criteria established in Section 2 herein and the attached Exhibit B, Scope of Services and DODI 1025.07.

e. Describe how data will be collected to demonstrate outcomes for the students, schools, communities, and other stakeholders participating in this program.

f. Describe the anticipated sustainability of the program and a plan for sustainability.

g. Confirm the ability to provide required services within the relevant timelines including the level available staffing.

h. Any other related factors that provide evidence of the organization’s capabilities to perform in a superior fashion.

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vi. References Provide contact information for a minimum of three (3) references for similar projects and/or programs to the one being advertised. Letters of support may also be included if available. References will be used to refine the evaluation and scoring of the proposal.

B. Price Proposal Price proposal must be labeled clearly and submitted separately from Technical Proposal and include Hourly Rates and Fees Schedule.

The Agency will not pay any mark-up on costs incurred by the Vendor. The Vendor may only request a fee for services provided.

i. Detailed Budget Provide a detailed Budget Narrative that outlines anticipated spending including but not limited to personnel, travel, administrative costs, technology, supplies, advertising, and consultants. While cost will be a factor in the evaluation of the proposal, it will be closely weighed against the ability of the Vendor to meet the requirements outlined in Section 2.

Vendors should keep the following in mind:

a. The selected Vendor will be expected to keep records of their activities in accordance with State and Federal laws and regulations.

b. Payment for contracted services will be made after receipt of approved monthly invoices for expenditures incurred and upon compliance with reporting requirements (As outlined in the attached Exhibit C, Price and Payment).

c. The Academy cannot be administered by a for-profit organization.

d. Proposed budgets cannot exceed $1,150,000.00 ($575,000.00 per year).