rfp-nhed-sped-2027-01.pdf

Comprehensive Preschool Support Services RFP NHED SPED-2027-01 Page 1 of 26

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Bureau of Special Education Support

25 Hall Street Concord, NH 03301

Request for Proposals

RFP NHED SPED-2027-01

The New Hampshire Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, national/ethnic origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, or disability in its programs, activities and employment practices. This statement is a reflection of the Department of Education and refers to, but is not limited to, the provisions of the following laws: Title IV, VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964-race color, national origin, The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, The Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX)-sex, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504)-disability, The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)-disability, and NH Law against discrimination (RSA 354-A).

Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

Section 1 – Overview and Schedule

Section 2 – Requirements & Scope of Work

Section 3 - Contract Terms and Conditions

Section 4 – Request for Proposal Process

Section 5 - RFP Terms and Conditions

Section 6 – Evaluation of Proposals

Section 7 – Process for Submitting a Proposal

Section 8 – Proposal Content and Requirements

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Section 1 – Overview and Schedule

A. Goal of this procurement/Business needs:

The goal of this RFP is to seek proposals and bids from individuals, agencies, or organizations interested in improving preschool outcomes for young children with disabilities, with a specific focus on enhancing developmental progress, school readiness, and access to high-quality early childhood special education services.

The New Hampshire Department of Education (Department), Bureau of Special Education Support (BSES) believes that strong early childhood programs and high-quality instructional practices are critical to improving developmental and educational outcomes for preschool children with disabilities. Therefore, this RFP seeks to promote evidence-based practices, inclusive learning environments, and coordinated early childhood services that support children’s cognitive, social-emotional, communication, adaptive, and physical development.

A successful proposal will include collaboration among early childhood educators, related service providers, administrators, and community partners to implement developmentally appropriate, evidence-based practices that measurably improve preschool outcomes. Proposals should demonstrate alignment with state and federal early childhood special education requirements as outlined in IDEA Indicators six, seven, and 12 and incorporate strategies that support data-driven decision-making and continuous program improvement.

The proposal’s objectives must align with the Department initiatives and the BSES priorities to better understand the relevance of information such as but not limited to:

• Preschool Outcome Measures

• Early Childhood Transition

• Least Restrictive Environment

Per CFR 300.601(b)(1) Data collection.

(1) Each State must collect valid and reliable information as needed to report annually to the Secretary on the indicators established by the Secretary for the State performance plans.

Per CFR 300.157(b) the State Education Agency (SEA) must have in effect established performance indicators the State will use to assess progress toward achieving the goals described in paragraph

(a) of this section, including measurements of interim progress for children with disabilities under section 1111(c)(4)(A)(i)(cc) of the ESEA, 20 U.S.C. 6311

IDEA Indicator Six, Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), focuses on the percentage of preschool children with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) who demonstrate improved outcomes in three key areas: Preschool Environments. Percent of children with IEPs, ages three through five 3, 4, and 5 who are enrolled in a preschool program, (A) Receiving majority of special education and related services in regular early childhood program; (B) Attending separate special education classes, separate school, or residential facility; (C) Receiving special education and related services in the home.

Indicator Seven, Preschool Outcomes Measures, requires States to report the percentage of preschool children aged three through five with IEPs who demonstrate improved outcomes in the

RFP NHED SPED-2027-01 Page 4 of 26 following areas:

A. Positive social-emotional skills (including social relationships);

B. Acquisition and use of knowledge and skills (including early language/communication and early literacy); and C. Use of appropriate behaviors to meet their needs.

Indicator 12, Timely Early Transitions, measures the percentage of children referred by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C (early intervention) prior to age three who are found eligible for IDEA Part B (services for school-aged children) and have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) developed and implemented by their third birthday.

Each contract will become effective upon Governor and Council approval and be effective through June 30, 2028.

B. Schedule

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

EVENT DATE LOCAL TIME

RFP Released to Proposers (Advertisement) 08/03/26 04:00p Proposer Inquiry Period Ends 08/17/26 04:00p Final Department Responses to Proposer Inquires 09/07/26 04:00p Proposers Submit Proposals 09/21/26 04:00p Estimated Notification of Selection 10/05/26 04:00p

C. Description of Department or Program Issuing the Request for Proposals

The Department is charged with providing oversight and implementation of federal and State laws that ensure a free appropriate public education for all children and youth with disabilities in New Hampshire. Given this charge, the mission is to improve educational outcomes for children and youth with disabilities by providing and promoting leadership, technical assistance, and collaboration statewide. The Department guides and directs a comprehensive array of statewide educational initiatives to accomplish this mission.

D. Vendor Instructions

Interested Vendor’s 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.

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Section 2 – Requirements & Scope of Work The selected Vendor shall provide the following services to support the New Hampshire Department of Education (Department), Bureau of Special Education Support (BSES), in strengthening transitions from Family-Centered Early Supports and Services (FCESS) to Preschool Special Education.

Priority 1: Support the Department’s BSES in Transitions from FCESS to Preschool Special Education

1.1 Convene Between Area Agencies, Receiving LEA’s and other entities

The Vendor shall:

1. Collaborate with the Department to review and update the Regional Interagency Agreement for Early Childhood Transitions template to ensure alignment with current State and Federal policies, procedures, and best practices.

2. Schedule, coordinate, and conduct quarterly regional interagency agreement meetings during each school year to:

o Promote consistent transition practices statewide o Incorporate and elevate family voice o Support Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and FCESS programs in implementing effective transition processes and completion of Interagency Agreements.

3. Develop the Early Childhood Transitions online module for families utilizing content provided by the Department, and with Department guidance and approval of the final product and promote the module by disseminating information to FCESS programs and LEAs.

4. Convene meetings at the discretion of the BSES with LEAs and FCESS programs as needed.

1.2 Provide Technical Assistance to Local Education Agencies School Districts Regarding Early Transitions, with Focus on LEAs with Untimely Transitions

The Vendor shall:

1. Maintain, update, and distribute transition-related materials, including but not limited to:

o Customizable LEA’s Early Transition Procedures Template o Overview of the Early Transition Process Document o Early Transition Best Practices

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2. Maintain the statewide preschool contact list for all LEA’s and share updates with Local Area Agencies (LAAs).

3. Provide technical assistance (TA) to LEAs and FCESS programs to promote smooth, effective transitions and ensure compliance with federal and state regulations.

4. In conjunction with the Preschool Educational Consultant at the Department, deliver targeted TA to LEA’s and ESS providers identified as having untimely transitions, including:

o Assisting LEAs with developing systems to document the transition process, including reasons for delays o Providing the Department with a list of targeted LEAs and associated corrective action plans o Review procedures with ESS providers to ensure timely submissions

1.3 Support State-Level Coordination Between Part C (FCESS) and Section 619 (Preschool Special Education)

The Vendor shall:

1. Support the Department in identifying and addressing systemic issues affecting the Part C to Part B 619 transition.

2. Gather and communicate field-level concerns and implementation issues to the Department and the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS), Part C Coordinator.

3. Facilitate up to eight engagement and input sessions, with LEA preschool personnel facilitating Part C, Section 619, and other state and local agencies or departments involved in supporting young children with disabilities to support alignment across agencies.

4. Schedule and conduct up to 12 monthly regional interagency agreement meetings in coordination with the Department, family engagement partners, and local partners to incorporate family voice into the transition process and support ongoing systems improvement.

1.4 Organize, Promote, and Facilitate Engagement Input Sessions with New Hampshire Families

The Vendor shall:

1. The Vendor, with the input from the Department, will develop and subsequently meet annually to review and update, if necessary, update the Family Engagement Plan that includes:

RFP NHED SPED-2027-01 Page 7 of 26 o Purpose and protocol for family engagement input sessions o Outreach, marketing, and communication strategies o Development of a document that outlines the developed plan to share out with families

2. Recruit a minimum of 5% of families ($5,000.00 incentive), 10% of families ($10,000 incentive), 15% of families ($12,000 incentive), or 20% of families ($15,000 incentive) of qualifying students with disabilities to participate in family engagement input sessions facilitated by the Vendor to gather feedback regarding the FCESS-to-preschool transition process.

3. Collect, analyze, and summarize themes and recommendations from families, and provide findings to the Department in formats directed by the Department.

Section 3 - Contract Terms and Conditions

A. Non-Exclusive Contract

Any resulting contract from this RFP will be a non-exclusive contract. The Department 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 Department decides to award a contract because 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 Department 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 B. 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 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 B 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.

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Section 4 – Request for Proposal Process

A. Department Point of Contact/Restriction of Contact with Department 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:

Janelle Lavin at Janelle.C.Lavin@doe.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 Department regarding this RFP is prohibited unless first approved by the RFP Sole Point of Contact. The Department 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 Appendix B, including the P-37, shall be submitted via email to the Department Point of Contact specified above. Inquiries must be received by the end of the vendor inquiry period (see Schedule of Events herein).

When submitting an inquiry, the vendor must identify the RFP name and the number and include the vendor’s name, telephone number, and e-mail address.

The Department will issue responses to properly submitted inquiries on or before the date specified in the Schedule of Events in the form of an addendum posted to the State Procurement website; however, this date is subject to change at the Department’s discretion. The Department may consolidate and/or paraphrase questions for efficiency and clarity. The Department 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 P-37, the Department will review requested exceptions and accept, reject, or note that it is open to negotiation of the proposed exception at its sole discretion. Questions about or requested exceptions to the RFP, Form P-37 and/or any relevant attachments not raised during the inquiry period are waived. Oral statements, representations, clarifications, or modifications concerning the RFP shall not be binding upon the Department. Official responses by the Department 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 on the State Procurement website before submitting a proposal.

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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 Department 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 the schedule of events, or until the effective date of any resulting contract, whichever is later.

D. RFP Addendum

The Department 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 Department, 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 Department from obtaining the best possible competitive proposal.

F. Property of the Department

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

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 Department may be grounds for disqualification.

H. Public Disclosure

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

RFP NHED SPED-2027-01 Page 11 of 26 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 Department 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 Department will post the ranks or scores of each responding vendor. In the event that the contract does not require Governor & Executive Council approval, the Department 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 Department to award a contract. The Department 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 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 Department’s posting of the rank or score on its website, vendors may, in accordance with RSA 21-G:37, request that the Department review its selection process.

The request must be in writing and must specify all points on which the vendor believes the Department erred in its process and shall contain such argument in support of its position as the https://sos.nh.gov/administration/miscellaneous/governor-executive-council/ https://sos.nh.gov/administration/miscellaneous/governor-executive-council/

RFP NHED SPED-2027-01 Page 12 of 26 vendor seeks to present. In its request for review, a vendor shall not submit, and the Department will not accept nor consider, any substantive information that was not included in the original proposal. The Department will respond to the request within 5 business days of its receipt.

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Section 6 – Evaluation of Proposals

A. Criteria for Evaluation and Scoring

The Department will evaluate each responsive Proposal using a scoring scale of 100 points, which will be distributed as set forth in the table below.

CATEGORIES

POINTS

Priority 1.1 20 Priority 1.2 20 Priority 1.3 20 Priority 1.4 20 Proposed Budget 20

TOTAL MAXIMUM POINTS 100

Scoring Rubric

Instructions: Reviewers scoring each proposal will use this rubric. You may use it as a checklist to assess your proposal prior to submitting it to the Department. The rubric is for your information only. Do not include it with your proposal submission.

Reviewer Name: _________________________________________________ Date Reviewed: _____________________________

1. Completeness of Proposal:

______ Appendix A (P-37) Cover Page ______ Letter of Interest/Proposal Response to Scope of Work ______ Budget Proposal ______ Current resumes for all staff proposed to work on this contract.

______ Three (3) Letters of Recommendation

Incomplete proposals will not be scored.

RFP Scoring Rubric

Priority Areas Priority 1.1 20 Points 10 Points 0 Points Points

Awarded Proposal thoroughly describes how the vendor will accomplish all required elements of the priority and provides 2-3 examples that demonstrate the vendor’s level of expertise and experience to

Proposal thoroughly describes how the vendor will accomplish all required elements of the priority and provides one example that demonstrates the vendor’s level of

Proposal does not address how the vendor will accomplish some or all required priority elements.

RFP NHED SPED-2027-01 Page 14 of 26 accomplish the scope of work.

Schedule, coordinate, and conduct quarterly regional interagency agreement meetings.

Promote the statewide Canvas Early Childhood Transitions online module for families by sharing information and encouraging its use among FCESS programs, LEAs.

expertise and experience to accomplish the scope of work.

Priority 1.2 20 Points 10 Points 0 Points

Proposal thoroughly describes how the vendor will accomplish all required elements of the priority and provides 2-3 examples that demonstrate the vendor’s level of expertise and experience to accomplish the scope of work.

Maintain, update, and distribute transition-related materials.

Maintain the statewide preschool contact list for all LEA’s and share updates with Local Area Agencies (LAAs).

In conjunction with the Preschool Educational Consultant at the

Proposal thoroughly describes how the vendor will accomplish all required elements of the priority and provides one example that demonstrates the vendor’s level of expertise and experience to

Proposal does not address how the vendor will accomplish some or

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Department, deliver targeted TA to LEA’s identified as having untimely transitions.

Includes previous evaluations, video testimonials, or webpages.

Priority 1.3 20 Points 10 Points 0 Points Proposal thoroughly describes how the vendor will accomplish all required elements of the priority and provides 2-3 examples that demonstrate the vendor’s level of expertise and experience to accomplish the scope of work.

Support the Department in identifying and addressing systemic issues affecting the Part C to Part B 619 transition.

Gather and communicate field-level concerns and implementation issues to the Department and the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS), Part C Coordinator.

Proposal thoroughly describes how the vendor will accomplish all required elements of the priority and provides one example that demonstrates the vendor’s level of expertise and experience to vendor will accomplish some or

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Facilitate engagement and input sessions

Schedule and conduct up to 12 monthly regional interagency agreement meetings in coordination with the Department, family engagement partners and local partners to incorporate family voice into the transition process and support ongoing systems improvement.

Priority 1.4 20 Points 10 Points 0 Points

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Proposal thoroughly describes how the vendor will accomplish all required elements of the priority and provides 2-3 examples that demonstrate the vendor’s level of expertise and experience to accomplish the scope of work.

Meet annually with the Department to develop a Family Engagement Plan.

Recruit participants and conduct family engagement input sessions to gather feedback regarding the FCESS-to-preschool transition process.

Collect, analyze, and summarize themes and recommendations from families, and provide findings to the Department in formats directed by the Department.

Includes previous evaluations, video testimonials, or webpages.

Proposal thoroughly describes how the vendor will accomplish all required elements of the priority and provides one example that demonstrates the vendor’s level of expertise and experience to vendor will accomplish some or

Budget 20 Points 10 Points 0 Points Points Awarded

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Proposed budget includes the detailed cost to deliver each item within Priorities 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, & 1.4 items, and is reasonable, necessary, and allocable per Federal guidelines.

Proposed budget provides a generalized budget for each Priority 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, & 1.4 items, but does not include the detailed cost to deliver each item within the Priority, and is reasonable, necessary, and allocable per Federal guidelines.

Budget proposal not submitted.

TOTAL [100 Possible Points]

B. Planned Evaluations Steps

The Department plans to use the following process:

• Initial screening to ensure that the vendors comply with submission requirements.

• Preliminary evaluation of the proposals;

• Oral interviews (if deemed necessary);

• Final scoring of proposals; and then

• Final selection(s).

C. Step One: Initial Screening

The Department will conduct an initial screening step to verify vendor compliance with the submission requirements set forth in the RFP and the minimum content set forth in Section 2 of this RFP. The Department 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. Any incomplete proposals or proposals that do not meet the submission requirements will not be scored.

D. Step Two: Preliminary Evaluation of Proposals

The Department will establish an evaluation team to initially review the proposals. This evaluation team will review the proposals under the guidelines set forth in Section 6.

E. Step Three: Oral Interviews

The Department retains the sole discretion to determine whether to conduct oral interviews, with which proposers, and the number of interviews. Vendors are advised that the Department may decide to conduct interviews with less than all responsive proposers.

The purpose of oral interviews and product demonstrations is to clarify and expound upon

RFP NHED SPED-2027-01 Page 19 of 26 information provided in the written proposals. Vendors are prohibited from altering the basic substance of their proposals during oral interviews and product demonstrations. The Department may ask the vendor to provide written clarifications of elements in their 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.

F. Step Four: Final Scoring of Proposals

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

G. No Best and Final Offer

The proposal should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms which the vendor can offer. There will be no best and final offer procedure. The vendor 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 proposal.

H. Final Selection

The Department will conduct a final selection based on the final evaluation of the initial proposals and then begin contract negotiations with the selected proposer(s).

I. Rights of the Department in Accepting and Evaluating Proposals

The Department reserves the right to:

• Make independent investigations in evaluating proposals;

• Request additional information to clarify elements of a proposal;

• Waive minor or immaterial deviations from the RFP requirements, if determined to be in the best interest of the Department;

• Omit any planned evaluation step if, in the Department’s view, the step is not needed;

• At its sole discretion, reject any and all proposals at any time; and

• Open contract discussions with the second highest scoring proposer and so on, if the Department is unable to reach an agreement on contract terms with the higher scoring Proposer(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 specified in the schedule of events, herein.

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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. 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 Department, in accordance with its established policies, as having been received at the location designated below. The Department 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.

Electronic Proposals

Electronic Proposals must be addressed to:

TO: Janelle.C.Lavin@doe.nh.gov Subject line must include: RESPONSE TO RFP: RFP NHED

SPED-2027-01

Electronic Submissions must be submitted using the following criteria:

• Searchable PDF Format

• Files must be less than 10MB in size.

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

Section 8 – Proposal Content and Requirements

Proposals must be prepared and organized in a clear and concise manner that is easily understandable. The proposal shall address the tasks to be accomplished, processes to be undertaken to accomplish those tasks and a proposed timeline for completion. Examples of materials that demonstrate the quality of work completed by the vendor on similar projects should be included.

Proposals shall be organized in the following order, with each section clearly indexed:

I. Cover Page Please use Appendix A as your cover page. Be sure to sign and date the page.

II. Letter of Interest/Proposal Response to Scope of Work

The vendor shall provide a letter of interest of five (5) pages or less that shall include descriptions of the following:

a) The proposer’s description of how the requirements outlined above are met.

b) The proposer’s capabilities to deliver the services detailed in the Scope of Work set forth in this RFP, including a description of volunteer, work experience and educational background.

c) The proposer’s knowledge of or experience with, including but not limited to, State and federal special education laws, and special education policy and procedures.

d) The proposer’s experience with and attitude towards conflict resolution, team

RFP NHED SPED-2027-01 Page 21 of 26 collaboration, and management of potentially tense group dynamics.

III. Budget Proposal The vendor must propose a budget that includes the following components:

a) The cost to deliver Priority 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, & 1.4 items (Generalized Budget or Detailed

Budget), and

b) Is reasonable, necessary, and allocable per Federal guidelines.

IV. Current Resume The vendor shall provide current resumes of all staff proposed to work on this contract.

V. Three (3) Letters of Recommendation

The vendor shall submit a minimum of three (3) letters of recommendation attesting to the vendor’s capabilities to effectively execute the requirements of this contract, including preschool policies and procedures.

VI. Supporting Documents

Any evidence or product that may demonstrate the vendor’s level of expertise and experience to accomplish the scope of work set forth in this RFP. This may include, but is not limited to, previous evaluations, video testimonials, or webpages.

RFP NHED SPED-2027-01 Page 22 of 26

Deliverables Proposed Deliverable Cost

Priority 1.1 Generalized Budget (10 pts.)

Update the transition agreement template, run quarterly regional meetings, develop and promote family transition modules, and convene additional LEA/FCESS meetings as needed.

Detailed Budget (20 pts.)

Transition Agreement Template Update Quarterly Regional Meetings Development & Promotion of Family Transition Modules Additional LEA/FCESS collaborative meetings, as needed Priority 1.2

Generalized Budget (10 pts.)

Maintain transition-related materials and the statewide preschool contact list, provide technical assistance to support compliant transitions, and deliver targeted support to LEAs addressing untimely transitions and ensure required documentation and procedures are in place.

Maintenance of transition-related materials Maintenance of the Statewide Preschool Contact List Technical Assistance to Support Compliant Transitions Targeted Support to address untimely transitions and procedures Priority 1.3

Generalized Budget (10 pts.)

Identify and address systemic transition issues, relay field-level concerns to the Department and the Department of Health & Human Services, facilitate up to eight cross-agency engagement sessions, and conduct up to 12 monthly regional interagency meetings.

Identify & address systemic transition issues Relay field-level concerns Up to eight cross-agency engagement sessions 12 monthly regional interagency meetings Priority 1.4

Generalized Budget (10 pts.)

Develop and annually review the Family Engagement Plan; recruit required percentages of families to participate in engagement sessions; and collect, analyze, and summarize family feedback.

Develop and annually review the Family Engagement Plan Recruit of families to participate in engagement sessions Collect, analyze, and summarize family feedback Total Proposed Budget (not to exceed $270,000)

Contractor Initials

Date

FORM NUMBER P-37 (version 2/23/2023)

AGREEMENT

The State of New Hampshire and the Contractor hereby mutually agree as follows:

GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. IDENTIFICATION.

1.1 State Agency Name

New Hampshire Department of Education

1.2 State Agency Address

25 Hall Street Concord, NH 03301

1.3 Contractor Name 1.4 Contractor Address

1.5 Contractor Phone

Number

1.6 Account Unit and Class

See Exhibit C

1.7 Completion Date 1.8 Price Limitation

1.9 Contracting Officer for State Agency 1.10 State Agency Telephone Number

1.11 Contractor Signature

Date:

1.12 Name and Title of Contractor Signatory

1.13 State Agency Signature

Date:

1.14 Name and Title of State Agency Signatory

Caitlin D. Davis, Commissioner of Education

1.15 Approval by the N.H. Department of Administration, Division of Personnel (if applicable)

By: Director, On:

1.16 Approval by the Attorney General (Form, Substance and Execution) (if applicable)

By: Elizabeth Brown, Attorney On:

1.17 Approval by the Governor and Executive Council (if applicable)

G&C Item number: G&C Meeting Date:

Notice: This agreement and all of its attachments shall become public upon submission to Governor and Executive Council for approval. Any information that is private, confidential or proprietary must be clearly identified to the agency and agreed to

2. SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED. The State of New Hampshire, acting through the agency identified in block 1.1 (“State”), engages contractor identified in block 1.3 (“Contractor”) to perform, and the Contractor shall perform, the work or sale of goods, or both, identified and more particularly described in the attached EXHIBIT B which is incorporated herein by reference (“Services”).

3. EFFECTIVE DATE/COMPLETION OF SERVICES.

3.1 Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the

contrary, and subject to the approval of the Governor and Executive Council of the State of New Hampshire, if applicable, this Agreement, and all obligations of the parties hereunder, shall become effective on the date the Governor and Executive Council approve this Agreement, unless no such approval is required, in which case the Agreement shall become effective on the date the Agreement is signed by the State Agency as shown in block 1.13 (“Effective Date”).

3.2 If the Contractor commences the Services prior to the Effective Date, all Services performed by the Contractor prior to the Effective Date shall be performed at the sole risk of the Contractor, and in the event that this Agreement does not become effective, the State shall have no liability to the Contractor, including without limitation, any obligation to pay the Contractor for any costs incurred or Services performed.

3.3 Contractor must complete all Services by the Completion Date specified in block 1.7.

4. CONDITIONAL NATURE OF AGREEMENT.

Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, all obligations of the State hereunder, including, without limitation, the continuance of payments hereunder, are contingent upon the availability and continued appropriation of funds. In no event shall the State be liable for any payments hereunder in excess of such available appropriated funds. In the event of a reduction or termination of appropriated funds by any state or federal legislative or executive action that reduces, eliminates or otherwise modifies the appropriation or availability of funding for this Agreement and the Scope for Services provided in EXHIBIT B, in whole or in part, the State shall have the right to withhold payment until such funds become available, if ever, and shall have the right to reduce or terminate the Services under this Agreement immediately upon giving the Contractor notice of such reduction or termination. The State shall not be required to transfer funds from any other account or source to the Account identified in block 1.6 in the event funds in that Account are reduced or unavailable.

5. CONTRACT PRICE/PRICE LIMITATION/ PAYMENT.

5.1 The contract price, method of payment, and terms of payment are identified and more particularly described in EXHIBIT C which is incorporated herein by reference.

5.2 Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement to the

contrary, and notwithstanding unexpected circumstances, in no event shall the total of all payments authorized, or actually made hereunder, exceed the Price Limitation set forth in block 1.8. The payment by the State of the contract price shall be the only and the complete reimbursement to the Contractor for all expenses, of whatever nature incurred by the Contractor in the performance hereof, and shall be the only and the complete compensation to the Contractor for the Services.

5.3 The State reserves the right to offset from any amounts

otherwise payable to the Contractor under this Agreement those liquidated amounts required or permitted by N.H. RSA 80:7 through RSA 80:7-c or any other provision of law.

5.4 The State’s liability under this Agreement shall be limited to monetary damages not to exceed the total fees paid. The Contractor agrees that it has an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement by the State and hereby waives any right to specific performance or other equitable remedies against the State.

6. COMPLIANCE BY CONTRACTOR WITH LAWS AND

REGULATIONS/EQUAL EMPLOYMENT

OPPORTUNITY.

6.1 In connection with the performance of the Services, the

Contractor shall comply with all applicable statutes, laws, regulations, and orders of federal, state, county or municipal authorities which impose any obligation or duty upon the Contractor, including, but not limited to, civil rights and equal employment opportunity laws and the Governor’s order on Respect and Civility in the Workplace, Executive order 2020-01. In addition, if this Agreement is funded in any part by monies of the United States, the Contractor shall comply with all federal executive orders, rules, regulations and statutes, and with any rules, regulations and guidelines as the State or the United States issue to implement these regulations. The Contractor shall also comply with all applicable intellectual property laws.

6.2 During the term of this Agreement, the Contractor shall not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment because of age, sex, sexual orientation, race, color, marital status, physical or mental disability, religious creed, national origin, gender identity, or gender expression, and will take affirmative action to prevent such discrimination, unless exempt by state or federal law. The Contractor shall ensure any subcontractors comply with these nondiscrimination requirements.

6.3 No payments or transfers of value by Contractor or its

representatives in connection with this Agreement have or shall be made which have the purpose or effect of public or commercial bribery, or acceptance of or acquiescence in extortion, kickbacks, or other unlawful or improper means of obtaining business.

6.4. The Contractor agrees to permit the State or United States access to any of the Contractor’s books, records and accounts for the purpose of ascertaining compliance with this Agreement and all rules, regulations and orders pertaining to the covenants, terms and conditions of this Agreement.

7. PERSONNEL.

7.1 The Contractor shall at its own expense provide all personnel necessary to perform the Services. The Contractor warrants that all personnel engaged in the Services shall be qualified to perform the Services, and shall be properly licensed and otherwise authorized to do so under all applicable laws.

7.2 The Contracting Officer specified in block 1.9, or any

successor, shall be the State’s point of contact pertaining to this Agreement.

8. EVENT OF DEFAULT/REMEDIES.

8.1 Any one or more of the following acts or omissions of the Contractor shall constitute an event of default hereunder (“Event of Default”):

8.1.1 failure to perform the Services satisfactorily or on schedule;

8.1.2 failure to submit any report required hereunder; and/or

8.1.3 failure to perform any other covenant, term or condition of this Agreement.

8.2 Upon the occurrence of any Event of Default, the State may take any one, or more, or all, of the following actions:

8.2.1 give the Contractor a written notice specifying the Event of Default and requiring it to be remedied within, in the absence of a greater or lesser specification of time, thirty (30) calendar days from the date of the notice; and if the Event of Default is not timely cured, terminate this Agreement, effective two (2) calendar days after giving the Contractor notice of termination;

8.2.2 give the Contractor a written notice specifying the Event of Default and suspending all payments to be made under this Agreement and ordering that the portion of the contract price which would otherwise accrue to the Contractor during the period from the date of such notice until such time as the State determines that the Contractor has cured the Event of Default shall never be paid to the Contractor;

8.2.3 give the Contractor a written notice specifying the Event of Default and set off against any other obligations the State may owe to the Contractor any damages the State suffers by reason of any Event of Default; and/or

8.2.4 give the Contractor a written notice specifying the Event of Default, treat the Agreement as breached, terminate the Agreement and pursue any of its remedies at law or in equity, or both.

9. TERMINATION.

9.1 Notwithstanding paragraph 8, the State may, at its sole

discretion, terminate the Agreement for any reason, in whole or in part, by thirty (30) calendar days written notice to the Contractor that the State is exercising its option to terminate the Agreement.

9.2 In the event of an early termination of this Agreement for any reason other than the completion of the Services, the Contractor shall, at the State’s discretion, deliver to the Contracting Officer, not later than fifteen (15) calendar days after the date of termination, a report (“Termination…