RFP HDADMIN-2027-01 - FINAL 7.14.26.docx

STATE OF WASHINGTON

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

RFP NO. HDADMIN-2027-01

NOTE: Please read this entire document before submitting a response. Responses that do not meet one or more requirements stated herein may be disqualified and not scored.

PROJECT TITLE: Community Compensation

PROPOSAL DUE: Tuesday, August 25 at 3:00 PM, Pacific Time, Olympia, WA

ESTIMATED TIME PERIOD FOR CONTRACT: September 30, 2026– June 30, 2027 With possibility for renewal during the 2028-2030 state biennium

PROPOSER ELIGIBILITY: This RFP is open to those proposers which satisfy the minimum qualifications stated herein and are available for work in Washington.

FUNDING SOURCE AND METHOD: This is state funding. Payments will be made on a reimbursement basis for deliverables accepted and/or allowable time and expenses.

CONTENTS OF THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:

1. Introduction

2. General Information for Proposers

3. Proposal Contents

4. Evaluation and Award

5. Exhibits

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION

PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

The Washington Department of Commerce, hereafter called "Commerce,” is initiating this Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit Proposals from those qualified and interested in participating in the Community Inclusion Program (CIP) to coordinate an equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist community stipend and reimbursement payment process for eligible individuals. This program supports low-income individuals and those with lived experience of housing instability with participation in Commerce-led activities that are classified as Class One groups (as defined in section 1.9), which include but are not limited to: boards, commissions, councils, committees, or similar groups. Class One workgroups function primarily in an advisory, coordinating, or planning capacity for the Housing Division. Commerce has an existing payment process in place; The Housing Division at Commerce would like this payment process to largely replace the existing internal process. It may also run alongside it in some cases.

The Housing Division (HD) at Commerce, established in 2022, was created to expand the support and capacity necessary to address the ongoing housing needs of Washington State residents and is currently comprised of eight units: the Administrative Unit, Homelessness Assistance Unit, Office of Homeless Youth, Office of Apple Health and Homes & Permanent Supportive Housing, Homeownership Unit, Multifamily Housing Unit, Policy and Strategic Initiatives Unit, and Data and Performance Unit. The HD mission is noted below, with additional information located on COMMERCE’s website.

“Working to make safe, affordable housing accessible to all. Washington is committed to seeing safe, decent and affordable housing for all residents. The Department of Commerce provides tools to local governments, nonprofits and community action agencies to ensure that everyone is housed in their communities. Our support ranges from capital funding to build and preserve affordable housing stock to programs that prevent families from becoming homeless.”

The HD identified the values of equity, anti-racism, human-connection and lived experience as crucial to achieving this vision. As a result, the HD partners with a diverse range of eligible individuals who are low-income and/or have live experience in the subject matter addressed by Class One groups initiated by the HD. In compliance with Second Substitute Senate Bill (2SSB) 5793 and RCW 43.03.220: Compensation of members of part-time boards and commissions—Class one groups. (wa.gov), the HD provides compensation to eligible individuals to support their participation in Class One groups when HD determines such participation is desirable in order to implement the principles of equity described in RCW 43.06D.020: Office established—Purpose. (wa.gov), provided that the eligible individuals are not otherwise compensated for their attendance at meetings.

COMMERCE intends to award one contract to provide the services described in this RFP.

OBJECTIVES

1. Work with Commerce to determine eligibility for community members participating in Class One activities, in accordance with Washington State Office of Equity’s Community Compensation Guidelines.

2. Provide prompt payment to eligible individuals who are low income AND/OR have lived experience of the subject matter being addressed by the Class One workgroups managed by the HD.

3. Provide direct payments for ground transportation, and reimbursements for eligible participatory expenses.

4. Provide logistic support for workgroup events and participant attendance.

5. Establish and abide by a standardized process, procedure, documentation and records for stipend and reimbursement payments to eligible individuals as well as direct payments, in accordance with Washington State Office of Equity’s Community Compensation Guidelines and the Community Inclusion Program guidelines.

6. Provide excellent customer service and prompt communication to eligible individuals receiving stipends and reimbursements.

SCOPE OF WORK

This procurement seeks to distribute funds to Class One Workgroup participants to support an equitable, inclusive and anti-racist community compensation payment process. In particular, COMMERCE is seeking proposals that include the following elements:

Part A. STIPEND AND REIMBURSEMENT PROCESS

· In collaboration with COMMERCE, develop, document, and implement processes, forms, procedures and guidelines for determining eligibility, initiating services, ongoing customer service and technical assistance, and issuance of prompt payments and reimbursements in accordance with the Washington State Office of Equity’s Community Compensation Guidelines unless otherwise provided for herein.

· In collaboration with COMMERCE, develop and implement feedback loops about the payment process to assess whether the payment process lowers barriers to workgroup engagement.

Part B. ONBOARDING

· Edit and manage an information packet and conduct onboarding for new eligible individuals as well as current eligible individuals who will need to transition from the current payment process to the new one. Include an explanation of eligibility for stipends and reimbursements, rates of compensation and how the stipend payments will be processed. The information packet must be in line with the WA State Office of Equity Community Compensation Guidelines.

· Provide support and technical assistance to individuals as needed, to complete necessary forms and authorization for payment.

· Ensure eligible individuals understand why and when 1099s will be issued.

Part C. PAYMENT

· Coordinate with eligible individuals on how they would like to receive payments and/or reimbursements. Accommodate preferences for digital payment options.

· Issue prompt (10 days or less) stipend and reimbursement payments to eligible individuals.

· Provide checks, ACH, and/or virtual payment options to eligible individuals, as needed, to cover immediate expenses.

· Provide direct payment for ground transportation and reimbursement expenses in accordance with WA State Office of Equity Community Compensation Guidelines and current program guidelines.

Part D. CONTINUING SUPPORT

· Provide direct technical assistance and support eligible individuals in addressing questions and submitting documentation for payments.

· Develop and implement a feedback system for eligible individuals to provide input on the barriers and successes of the payment process.

· Ensure communication with eligible individuals is available through multiple channels (email, phone, text, website, fliers, etc.).

Part E. LOGISTICAL SUPPORT FOR IN-PERSON MEETINGS

· Work directly with eligible individuals to arrange and book travel accommodations to attend in-person meetings.

· Work directly with eligible individuals to determine child and/or adult care or other needs for them to attend in-person meetings.

Part F. DATA COLLECTION AND SECURITY

· Ensure a secure means of collecting and storing information required to make payments to eligible individuals in compliance with State Information Technology Policies and Procedures as maintained by Washington Technology Solutions (WaTech) (see Attachment D: Data & Confidential Information Sharing in Exhibit E: Service Contract Format with General Terms and Conditions) .

· Limit the collection of data from eligible individuals to that only necessary to issue payment and reimbursement.

· Develop a data collecting process, in accordance with WA State Office of Equity Community Compensation Guidelines, to track the essential data elements to report to COMMERCE annually.

Part G. OTHER Other activities necessary to support these objectives, as proposed by the Apparent Successful Contractor or COMMERCE and accepted by both parties.

ESTIMATED SERVICE LEVELS

HD engagements with eligible individuals are varied and range across six of our eight units. Big events/meetings require the highest volume of payment processing, for upward of 60 eligible individuals. Smaller events average 20-30 eligible individuals. The HD supports several regular workgroups which involve a smaller number of eligible individuals on a regular cadence, in addition to some one-time engagements for a single activity. The Contractor will need to manage a consistent workflow while having the capacity to manage large volumes of payments as they occur.

The following is a rough estimate of service levels:

· Estimated number of eligible persons to be served per contract year: 250

· Estimated number of total payments to eligible individuals per contract year: 2,500

· Estimated number of total payments to eligible individuals per month: 353

· Estimated number of payments per person: 1 – 50

In addition, direct payments are to be made to ground transportation providers, such as taxis, bus shuttles, ride-shares, ferries, and other ground transportation necessary for Class One workgroup participants to be physically present at eligible activities.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum qualifications include:

· Licensed to do business in Washington with the Secretary of State or Department of Revenue, or submit a statement of commitment that it will become licensed in Washington within thirty (30) calendar days of being selected as the Apparent Successful Contractor.

· 2 years experience in financial management (such as payroll, travel or reimbursement processes) and/or administering a stipend or similar direct payment program to individuals.

· 2 years experience administering payments to participants through a digital method i.e., virtual card.

Proposals that do not clearly meet or exceed all minimum qualifications listed above are non-responsive and will not be evaluated.

FUNDING

COMMERCE has budgeted an amount not to exceed $710,677 total for this project split between administration costs, and pass-through funding.

· The estimated amount for the contracted administration of this work is not to exceed $187,600

· Of the total amount, it is estimated that $523,077 will be paid to eligible individuals as part of the HD pass-through budget for this contract.

The administration amount proposed will be added to the budgeted pass-through funding above and proposals in excess of the total amount will be considered non-responsive and will not be evaluated. In the event additional funding becomes available during the period of performance, any contract awarded may be amended to provide for additional related services. Additional funding is not guaranteed.

Any contract awarded as a result of this RFP is contingent upon the availability of funding.

THIS SECTION REMOVED

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance of any contract resulting from this RFP is tentatively scheduled to begin on or about September 30, 2026 and to end on June 30, 2027. Amendments extending the period of performance, if any, shall be at the sole discretion of COMMERCE. Funding may be reassessed and added at time of extension based on the previous contracted period and projected next fiscal year for both the administrative costs and pass through funding to equal new projected contract amount.

COMMERCE reserves the right to extend the contract for up to three one-year periods as follows:

July 1, 2027 - June 30, 2028 July 1, 2028 – June 30, 2029 July 1, 2029 – June 30, 2030.

The above right to extend does not constitute a guarantee for extension or contract and is only available if additional funding is provided.

CONTRACTING WITH CURRENT OR FORMER STATE EMPLOYEES

Specific restrictions apply to contracting with current or former state employees pursuant to chapter 42.52 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW). Proposers are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the requirements prior to submitting a Proposal that includes current or former state employees.

DEFINITIONS

Definitions for the purposes of this RFP include:

Administrative Costs: Contracted Commerce Housing Division funds used to pay the Apparent Successful Bidder for administrative costs related to executing the work of this RFP. This includes staff salaries, costs of deliverables, and other contractor administrative costs required to fulfill the contract negotiated with Commerce as part of this RFP.

Apparent Successful Contractor/Bidder/Vendor/Grantee/Awardee: The Proposer selected to perform the anticipated services, subject to successful completion of contract negotiations and execution of a written contract.

Class One Workgroup: a Class One group is defined in RCW 43.03.220 as “any part-time board, commission, council, committee, or other similar group which is established by the executive, legislative, or judicial branch to participate in state government and which functions primarily in an advisory, coordinating, or planning capacity shall be identified as a Class One group”.

COMMERCE or AGENCY: The Department of Commerce is the agency of the state of Washington that is issuing this RFP.

Contract: A written, legally binding agreement to perform the services proposed, also called a Grant or Interagency Agreement.

Eligible individuals: Persons who are low income OR have lived experience, and work in Class One Workgroups.

Contractor: Individual or organization whose Proposal has been accepted by COMMERCE and is awarded a fully executed, written contract. Also called Grantee, Awardee, Recipient, or Vendor.

Exhibit: Document attached to this RFP, also referred to as Attachment.

HD: The Housing Division within the Department of Commerce.

Lived Experience: Relevant expertise derived from the accumulated personal life and professional experiences of an individual. Experience can be gained through life events, volunteer role/capacity, any experience gained outside of professional paid and unpaid experience, academic or a combination of experiences.

Low Income: Income not more than 400 percent of the federal poverty level, adjusted for family size.

Pass-Through Funding: Contracted Commerce Housing Division funds used to pay eligible Class One workgroup participants stipends, reimbursements, or to reimburse scheduled ground transportation. This funding is not directly accessible to the contractor for administrative costs.

Proposal: A formal offer submitted in response to this Request for Proposals.

Proposer: Individual, firm, organization, company, or other entity or group of entities that submits a Proposal to attain a contract with COMMERCE.

Request for Proposals (RFP): Formal procurement or solicitation document in which a service or need is identified but no specific method to achieve it has been chosen. The purpose of an RFP is to permit the Proposer community to suggest various approaches to meet the need at or below a given funding level.

Small business: An in-state business, including a sole proprietorship, corporation, partnership, or other legal entity, that: (a) Certifies, under penalty of perjury, that it is owned and operated independently from all other businesses and has either: (i) Fifty or fewer employees; or (ii) A gross revenue of less than seven million dollars annually as reported on its federal income tax return or its return filed with the Department of Revenue over the previous three consecutive years.

Veteran-owned business: A business certified by the Washington Department of Veteran Affairs.

Washington Technology Solutions (WaTech): The state agency that operates Washington state’s core technology infrastructure, including central networking, data centers, and cybersecurity.

ADA

COMMERCE complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Proposers may contact the RFP Coordinator to receive this Request for Proposals in Braille or on tape.

2. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR PROPOSERS

RFP COORDINATOR

The RFP Coordinator is the sole point of contact in COMMERCE for this RFP. All communication between the Proposer and COMMERCE upon release of this RFP shall be with the RFP Coordinator, as follows:

Any other communication will be considered unofficial and non-binding on COMMERCE. Proposers are to rely only on written statements issued by the RFP Coordinator. Communication directed to parties other than the RFP Coordinator may result in disqualification of the Proposer.

ESTIMATED SCHEDULE OF PROCUREMENT ACTIVITIES

COMMERCE reserves the right to revise the above schedule.

QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD

COMMERCE will accept questions about this RFP sent to the RFP Coordinator at the email address listed in Section 2.1 during this period. Questions should not identify the submitting person or organization. COMMERCE will answer all questions in a Q&A document posted no later than the date identified in Section 2.2.

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

A pre-proposal conference will be held on July 23 at 3:00 p.m., Pacific time. The pre-proposal conference will be virtual only, on a platform such as Zoom. Register for the meeting link here: https://wastatecommerce.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KrZ1R0lwTFOheMXvYGbjaw#/registration

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. All prospective Proposers are encouraged to attend; however, attendance is not mandatory. We will post the webinar recording after the meeting finishes.

COMMERCE will be bound only to COMMERCE written answers to questions. Questions arising at the pre-proposal conference will be documented and answered in written form. A copy of the questions and answers will be sent to each prospective Proposer that has requested the RFP Coordinator to send them RFP addenda.

THIS SECTION REMOVED

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

ELECTRONIC PROPOSALS:

The proposal must be received by the RFP Coordinator no later than 3:00 PM, Pacific Time, in Olympia, Washington, on August 25, 2026.

Proposals must be submitted electronically as an attachment to an e-mail to the RFP Coordinator, at the e-mail address listed in Section 2.1. Attachments to e-mail shall be in Microsoft Word format, PDF and any other formats listed in Section 3 Proposal Contents. Zipped files cannot be received by COMMERCE and cannot be used for submission of Proposals. The Submittal Letter and the Certifications and Assurances form must have a scanned or digital signature of the individual within the organization authorized to bind the Proposer to the offer. COMMERCE does not assume responsibility for problems with Proposer’s e-mail. If COMMERCE email is not working, appropriate allowances will be made.

Proposals may not be transmitted using facsimile transmission.

Proposers should allow sufficient time to ensure timely receipt of the proposal by the RFP Coordinator. Late proposals will not be accepted and will be automatically disqualified from further consideration, unless COMMERCE e-mail is found to be at fault at COMMERCE’S sole determination. Proposals should be sent in one email, however if more than one email is needed all must be received by the due date and time. Exceptions will not be made for partial submissions. Requests for deadline extensions will not be granted. All Proposals and any accompanying documentation become the property of COMMERCE and will not be returned. Any information received as a result of this RFP may be collected and considered for continuous improvement purposes.

PROPRIETARY INFORMATION AND PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

Proposals submitted in response to this RFP shall become the property of COMMERCE. All Proposals received shall remain confidential until the Apparent Successful Contractor is announced; thereafter, all Proposals are subject to disclosure as provided for in Chapter 42.56 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW).

Any information in the proposal that the Proposer desires to claim as proprietary and exempt from disclosure under the provisions of Chapter 42.56 RCW, or other state or federal law that provides for the nondisclosure of your document, must be clearly designated. The information must be clearly identified and the particular exemption from disclosure upon which the Proposer is making the claim must be cited. Each page containing the information claimed to be exempt from disclosure must be clearly identified by the words “Proprietary Information” printed on the lower right hand corner of the page. Marking the entire proposal exempt from disclosure or as Proprietary Information will not be honored.

If a public records request is made for the information that the Proposer has marked as "Proprietary Information," COMMERCE will notify the Proposer of the request and of the date that the records will be released to the requester unless the Proposer obtains a court order enjoining that disclosure. If the Proposer fails to obtain the court order enjoining disclosure, COMMERCE will release the requested information on the date specified. If a Proposer obtains a court order from a court of competent jurisdiction enjoining disclosure pursuant to Chapter 42.56 RCW, or other state or federal law that provides for nondisclosure, COMMERCE shall maintain the confidentiality of the Proposer's information per the court order.

A charge will be made for copying and shipping as allowed by law. No fee shall be charged for inspection of contract files, but twenty-four (24) hours’ notice to the RFP Coordinator is required. All requests for information should be directed to the RFP Coordinator.

REVISIONS TO THE RFP

In the event it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP, addenda will be provided via e-mail to all individuals who have made the RFP Coordinator aware of their interest. Addenda may also be published on Washington’s Electronic Business Solution (WEBS). The website can be located at https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/. For this purpose, the published questions and answers and any other pertinent information shall be provided as an addendum to the RFP and will be placed on the website. Such addenda will also be published anywhere the RFP is posted, including on COMMERCE’S public webpage, located at https://www.commerce.wa.gov/contracting/.

You may also send your name and e-mail address to the RFP Coordinator to request to receive any addenda.

COMMERCE also reserves the right to cancel or to reissue the RFP in whole or in part, prior to execution of a contract.

DIVERSE BUSINESS INCLUSION PLAN

Proposers are required to submit a Diverse Business Inclusion Plan with their Proposal describing in good faith their aspirational goals for subcontractor types. In accordance with legislative findings and policies set forth in RCW 39.19, the state of Washington encourages participation in all contracts by firms certified by the Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE), set forth in RCW 43.60A.200 for firms certified by the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, and set forth in RCW 39.26.005 for firms that are Washington Small Businesses. No minimum level of minority- or women-owned business, Washington Small Businesses, or Washington State certified Veteran Business participation is required as a condition for receiving an award. Any affirmative action requirements set forth in any federal governmental rules included or referenced in the contract documents will apply.

COMMERCE has the following agency goals:

10% participation by Minority Owned Business 6% participation by Women Owned Business 5% participation by Veteran Owned Business 5% participation by Small Businesses

ACCEPTANCE PERIOD

Proposals must provide 60 days for acceptance by COMMERCE from the due date for receipt of proposals.

COMPLAINT PROCESS

Potential Proposers may submit a complaint to COMMERCE based on any of following:

a) The solicitation unnecessarily restricts competition;

b) The solicitation evaluation or scoring process is unfair; or

c) The solicitation requirements are inadequate or insufficient to prepare a response.

A complaint may be submitted to COMMERCE at any time prior to 5 days before the proposal response deadline. The complaint must meet the following requirements:

a) The complaint must be in writing;

b) The complaint must be sent to the RFP coordinator in a timely manner;

c) The complaint should clearly articulate the basis for the complaint; and

d) The complaint should include a proposed remedy.

The RFP coordinator will respond to the complaint in writing. The response to the complaint and any changes to the solicitation will be posted on WEBS. The Director of COMMERCE will be notified of all complaints and will be provided a copy of COMMERCE’S response. The complaint may not be raised again during the protest period. COMMERCE’S action or inaction in response to the complaint is final. There is no appeal process.

RESPONSIVENESS

All Proposals will be reviewed by the RFP Coordinator to determine compliance with administrative requirements and instructions specified in this RFP. The Proposer is specifically notified that failure to comply with any part of this RFP may result in disqualification of the Proposal as incomplete and/or non-responsive.

Disqualified Proposers will be notified after the announcement of the Apparently Successful Contractor.

Disqualified Proposers will be informed of the reason for disqualification; this shall constitute a debriefing conference for the purposes of Section 4.6, Protest Procedure.

COMMERCE reserves the right at its sole discretion to waive minor administrative irregularities.

MOST FAVORABLE TERMS

COMMERCE reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the Proposal submitted. Therefore, the proposal should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms which the Proposer can propose. There will be no best and final offer procedure. COMMERCE reserves the right to contact a Proposer for clarification of its Proposal.

The Apparent Successful Contractor should be prepared to accept this RFP for incorporation into a contract resulting from this RFP. Contract negotiations may incorporate some, or all, of the Proposer’s Proposal. The Proposal will become a part of the official procurement file on this matter without obligation to COMMERCE.

CONTRACT GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS

The Apparent Successful Contractor will be expected to enter into a contract which is substantially the same as the example contract and its general terms and conditions attached as Exhibit E. This sample contract is for information and review only and should not be returned with your Proposal. In no event is a Proposer to submit its own standard contract terms and conditions in response to this RFP. All proposed edits to the contract terms and conditions must be submitted as an attachment to Exhibit A, Certifications and Assurances form. COMMERCE will review requested edits and accept or reject the same at its sole discretion.

COSTS TO PROPOSE

COMMERCE will not be liable for any costs incurred by the Proposer in preparation of a Proposal submitted in response to this RFP, travel to or conduct of a presentation, or any other activities related to responding to this RFP.

NO OBLIGATION TO CONTRACT

This RFP does not obligate the state of Washington or COMMERCE to contract for services specified herein.

REJECTION OF PROPOSALS

COMMERCE reserves the right at its sole discretion to reject any and all Proposals received without penalty and not to issue a contract as a result of this RFP.

COMMITMENT OF FUNDS

The Director of COMMERCE or delegate is the only individual who may legally commit COMMERCE to the expenditures of funds for a contract resulting from this RFP. No services may begin and no cost chargeable to the proposed contract may be incurred before receipt of a fully executed contract.

ELECTRONIC PAYMENT

The state of Washington prefers to utilize electronic payment in its transactions. The successful Contractor must have or obtain a Statewide Vendor Number (SWV) from the Office of Financial Management to be paid by COMMERCE. For more information, visit: www.ofm.wa.gov.

INSURANCE COVERAGE

The Contractor is to furnish COMMERCE with a certificate(s) of insurance executed by a duly authorized representative of each insurer, showing compliance with the insurance requirements set forth within the contract if requested.

The Contractor shall, at its own expense, obtain and keep in force insurance coverage which shall be maintained in full force and effect during the term of the contract. The Contractor shall furnish evidence in the form of a Certificate of Insurance that insurance shall be provided, and, if requested, a copy shall be forwarded to COMMERCE within fifteen (15) days of the contract effective date. Standard insurance requirements are included within the example contract and its special terms and conditions attached as Exhibit E.

3. PROPOSAL CONTENTS

ELECTRONIC PROPOSALS:

To be responsive, Proposals must contain all eight items below, written in English, and submitted electronically to the RFP Coordinator in the following order:

1. Letter of Submittal (Complete with A-F answer and signature)

2. Certifications and Assurances (Exhibit A to this RFP, checkboxes complete and submit proposed contract edits, if any and sign)

3. Technical Proposal (Complete and mandatory)

4. Management Proposal

a. Organizational chart

b. Resumes for the named staff

c. Cost Proposal (Not to exceed amount listed at Section 1.4)

5. Diverse Business Inclusion Plan (Exhibit B to this RFP) (Complete and sign)

6. Workers’ Rights Certification (Exhibit C to this RFP) (Complete and sign)

7. Small or Veteran-Owned Business Certification (Exhibit D to this RFP) (Complete and sign)

Proposals must provide information in the same order as presented in this document with the same headings. This will not only be helpful to the evaluators of the Proposal, but should also assist the Proposer in preparing a thorough response.

Items marked “mandatory” must be included as part of the Proposal to be considered responsive, however, these items are not scored. Items marked “scored” are those that are awarded points as part of the evaluation conducted by the evaluation team.

LETTER OF SUBMITTAL (MANDATORY)

The Letter of Submittal must be signed and dated by a person authorized to legally bind the Proposer to a contractual relationship, e.g., the President or Executive Director if a corporation, the managing partner if a partnership, or the proprietor if a sole proprietorship.

Along with introductory remarks, the Letter of Submittal must include the following information about the Proposer and any proposed subcontractors:

A. Name, address, principal place of business, telephone number, and fax number/e-mail address of legal entity or individual with whom contract would be written.

B. Name, address, and telephone number of each principal officer (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, etc.)

C. Legal status of the Proposer (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, etc.) and the year the entity was organized to do business as the entity now substantially exists.

D. Federal Employer Tax Identification number and the Washington Uniform Business Identification (UBI) number issued by the state of Washington. If the Proposer does not have a UBI number, the Proposer must state that it will become licensed in Washington within thirty (30) calendar days of being selected as the Apparently Successful Contractor.

E. Location from which the Proposer would operate.

F. Identify any state employees or former state employees employed or on the firm’s governing board as of the date of the proposal. Include their position and responsibilities within the Proposer’s organization. If following a review of this information COMMERCE determines that a conflict of interest exists, the Proposer may be disqualified from further consideration.

CERTIFICATIONS AND ASSURANCES (MANDATORY)

The Certifications and Assurances form (Exhibit A to this RFP) must be signed and dated by a person authorized to legally bind the Proposer to a contractual relationship, e.g., the President or Executive Director if a corporation, the managing partner if a partnership, or the proprietor if a sole proprietorship. Proposers wishing to submit any proposed contract edits must indicate so on this form (see Section 2.14).

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL (SCORED)

The Technical Proposal must contain a comprehensive description of services including the following elements:

A. Project Approach/Methodology: Include a complete description of the Proposer’s proposed approach and methodology for the project. This section should convey Proposer’s full understanding of the proposed project.

B. Work Plan: Include all project requirements and the proposed tasks, services, activities, etc. necessary to accomplish the scope of the project defined in this RFP. This section of the technical proposal must contain sufficient detail to convey to members of the evaluation team the Proposer’s knowledge of the subjects and skills necessary to successfully complete the project. Include any required involvement of COMMERCE staff. The Proposer may also present any creative approaches that might be appropriate and may provide any pertinent supporting documentation. Identify any work to be completed by subcontractors but do not select subcontractors until all relevant requirements have been reviewed, including the Code of Federal Regulations if applicable.

C. Project Schedule: Include a project schedule indicating when the elements of the work will be completed. Project schedule must ensure that any deliverables requested are met.

D. Outcomes and Performance Measurement: Describe the impacts and outcomes the Proposer will achieve, including how these impacts and outcomes will be monitored, measured and reported to COMMERCE.

E. Risks: The Proposer must identify potential risks that are considered significant to the success of the project in sufficient detail to convey to members of the evaluation team the Proposer’s ability correctly assess and manage risk. Include how the Proposer will effectively monitor and manage these risks, including timely reporting of risks to COMMERCE.

F. Deliverables: Fully describe deliverables to be submitted under the proposed contract. Deliverables must support the purpose of this RFP described in Section 1.1 and met the requirements set forth in Section 1.2.

G. Qualitative Feedback Loop: Develop and implement a feedback system for participants to provide input on the barriers and successes of the payment process. Describe how the Proposer will receive and incorporate feedback throughout the project. Describe a time that the Proposer received feedback from a participant in their program, how and when they responded, and any changes to policies, procedures, or practices that occurred as a result.

MANAGEMENT PROPOSAL

A. Project Management (SCORED)

1. Project Team Structure and Internal Controls: Provide a description of the proposed project team structure and internal controls to be used during the course of the project, including any subcontractors. Proposers are reminded to select subcontractors only after reviewing all relevant requirements. Provide an organizational chart indicating lines of authority for personnel involved in performance of this potential contract and relationships of these staff to other programs or functions of the organization(s). This chart must also show lines of authority to the next senior level of management. Include who will have prime responsibility and final authority for the work.

2. Staff Qualifications and Experience: Identify staff, including any subcontractors, who will be assigned to the potential contract, indicating the responsibilities and qualifications of such personnel, and include the amount of time each will be assigned to the project. Provide resumes for the named staff, which include information on the individual’s particular skills related to this project, education, experience, significant accomplishments and any other pertinent information. Staff identified in the Proposal must actually perform the assigned work. Any staff substitution must have prior approval from COMMERCE.

B. Experience of the Proposer (SCORED)

1. Indicate the experience the Proposer has in the following areas. If the Proposer does not have the specified experience, explain whether the Proposer plans to seek a subcontractor with that experience or other mitigation strategy:

a. 2 years experience in financial management (such as payroll, travel or reimbursement processes) and/or administering a stipend or similar direct payment program to individuals.

b. 2 years experience administering payments to participants through a digital method i.e., virtual card.

f. Describe your organization’s experience with data collection and reporting.

2. Indicate any other relevant experience that shows the qualifications of the Proposer, and any subcontractors, for the performance of the potential contract.

3. Include a list of contracts the Proposer has had during the last five years that relate to the Proposer’s ability to perform the services needed under this RFP. List contract reference numbers, period of performance, contact persons, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses.

C. Related Information (MANDATORY)

1. If the Proposer or any known subcontractor contracted with the state of Washington during the past 24 months, indicate the name of the agency, contract number, project description and/or other information available to identify the contract.

2. If any member of the Proposer’s staff or subcontractor’s staff was an employee of the state of Washington during the past 24 months, or is currently a Washington State employee, identify the individual by name, the agency previously or currently employed by, job title or position held and separation date.

3. If the Proposer has had any contract terminated for default in the last five years, describe such incident. Termination for default, also called termination for cause, is defined as notice to stop contract work for reasons related to contract performance and/or compliance and the termination was either (a) not litigated due to inaction on the part of the Proposer, or (b) litigated and such litigation determined that the Proposer was in default.

4. Submit full details of the terms for default including the other party's name, address, and phone number. Present the Proposer’s position on the matter. COMMERCE will evaluate the facts and may, at its sole discretion, reject the proposal on the grounds of the past experience. If no such termination for default has been experienced by the Proposer in the past five years, so indicate.

5. If the Proposer plans to subcontract/subgrant any portion of the award, describe how subcontractors/subgrantees will be selected, as well as your organization’s plan and ability to compensate those subcontractors/subgrantees prior to seeking reimbursement from COMMERCE. If not, state that no subcontracting/subgranting will occur.

Please note that federally funded awards must comply with all applicable sections of the Code of Federal Regulations, 2 CFR 200, including selection of subs.

D. References (MANDATORY)

List names, addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of three (3) references the Proposer has done business with and three (3) professional references the lead staff person has performed work for and briefly describe the type of service provided. Do not include current COMMERCE staff as references. By submitting a Proposal, the Proposer and any partners or agents authorize COMMERCE to contact these references and any others who, from COMMERCE’S perspective, may have pertinent information. COMMERCE may or may not contact references in its sole discretion.

E. OMWBE and WDVA Certification (OPTIONAL AND NOT SCORED) Include proof of certification issued by the Washington Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) or Washington Department of Veteran Affairs (WDVA) if certified small, minority-, women-, or veteran-owned business(es) will be participating on this project in any capacity. For more information please see Sections 4.2 and 2.9, and visit: www.omwbe.wa.gov or https://www.dva.wa.gov/.

COST PROPOSAL

The total amount proposed must not exceed the amount specified in Section 1.4 to be considered responsive to this RFP.

The evaluation process is designed to award this procurement not necessarily to the Proposer of least cost, but rather to the Proposer whose Proposal best meets the requirements of this RFP. However, Proposers are encouraged to submit Proposals which are consistent with state government efforts to conserve resources.

Identification of Costs (SCORED)

Identify all costs in U.S. dollars including expenses to be charged for performing the services necessary to accomplish the objectives of the contract. COMMERCE provides a downloadable Excel spreadsheet for identifying costs in Exhibit E: Community Inclusion Program – Budget Worksheet (Fillable Excel Spreadsheet). The Proposer is to submit a fully detailed budget including staff costs and any expenses necessary to accomplish the tasks and to produce the deliverables under the contract. Proposers are required to collect and pay Washington state sales and use taxes if applicable.

Costs for work to be completed by subcontractors are to be broken out separately.

4. EVALUATION AND CONTRACT AWARD

EVALUATION PROCEDURE

Responsive Proposals will be evaluated strictly in accordance with the requirements stated in this RFP and any addenda issued. The evaluation of Proposals will be accomplished by one or more evaluation team(s) designated by COMMERCE, which will determine the ranking of the proposals.

COMMERCE, in its sole discretion, may elect to invite top-scoring Proposers as finalists for a virtual presentation or interview.

The RFP Coordinator may contact the Proposer for clarification of any portion of their Proposal. Proposers are not permitted to submit, resubmit, correct, or change any materials of any kind after the date and time stated in Section 2.6 SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS.

EVALUATION BREAKDOWN

The following weighting will be assigned to each proposal section for evaluation purposes. Subsections may or may not be of equal weight.

Technical Proposal – 50% (EACH SECTION IS 10 PTS WITH A WEIGHT OF 1) Project Approach/Methodology Work Plan Project Schedule Outcome and Performance Measurement Risks Deliverables Qualitative Feedback Loop Mechanisms

Management Proposal – 50% (EACH SECTION IS 10 PTS WITH A WEIGHT OF 1) Project Team Structure Internal Controls Staff Qualifications and Experience of the Proposer

Cost Proposal is scored by dividing the lowest cost received by the Proposer’s total cost and the result is then added to the combined score for the Technical and Management Proposals.

Workers’ Rights Certification Those Proposers that certify they do not require their employees to sign an individual arbitration clause as a condition of employment will receive an extra 5% of the total available awarded points added to their final score (see Exhibit C).

Veteran’s and Small Business Certification Those Proposers that certify they are small or veteran-owned businesses will receive an extra 5% of the total available awarded points added to their final score (see Exhibit D).

COMMERCE reserves the right to award the contract(s) to the Proposer(s) whose Proposal is deemed to be in the best interest of COMMERCE and the state of Washington.

VIRTUAL PRESENTATIONS MAY BE REQUIRED

After evaluating the written proposals COMMERCE may elect to schedule virtual presentations or interviews of top-scoring Proposers. If so, COMMERCE will contact the top-scoring Proposers from the written evaluation to schedule a date and time to meet on a platform such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Any commitments made by the Proposer during a virtual presentation or interview will be considered binding.

The scores from the written evaluation and the virtual presentation combined together will determine the Apparent Successful Contractor.

NOTIFICATION TO PROPOSERS

COMMERCE will notify the Apparent Successful Contractor(s) of their selection in writing upon completion of the evaluation process. Proposers who were not selected for further negotiation or award will be notified separately. Notification may also be made to the COMMERCE public website, Washington Electronic Business Solution (WEBS), or other publicly accessible locations.

DEBRIEFING OF UNSUCCESSFUL PROPOSERS

Any Proposer who has submitted a Proposal and received notice that they were not selected for contract negotiation may request a debriefing. The request for a debriefing conference must be received by the RFP Coordinator within three (3) business days after the Unsuccessful Proposer Notification is e-mailed to the Proposer. The debriefing must be scheduled within three (3) business days of the request.

Discussion at the debriefing conference is strictly limited to the following:

· Evaluation and scoring of that Proposer’s Proposal;

· Any written comments from evaluators related to that Proposer;

· Review of Proposer’s final score in comparison with the other final scores without identifying the other Proposers or reviewing their Proposals.

Comparisons between Proposals or evaluations of the other Proposals is not allowed. COMMERCE will not discuss any items other than the three bullet points above. Debriefing conferences may be conducted on the telephone or by other electronic means and will be scheduled for a maximum of thirty (30) minutes. COMMERCE reserves the right to end a debriefing for any reason.

PROTEST PROCEDURE

Protests may be filed only by Proposers who submitted a response to this RFP and who have participated in a debriefing conference. Upon completing the debriefing conference, the Proposer is allowed five (5) business days to file a protest with the RFP Coordinator. Protests must be received by the RFP Coordinator no later than 5:00pm Pacific time on the fifth business day following the debriefing. Protests must be submitted by email. Proposers may choose to copy COMMERCE’S Central Contracts Office at formalprotest@commerce.wa.gov. Do not copy any other COMMERCE staff.

Proposers protesting this RFP shall follow the procedures described below. Protests that do not follow these procedures will not be considered.