RFP - Professional Services

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Adult Occupational Skills Training and Workforce Preparation Programs funded with State “Blue Collar” Funds

ISSUED BY

DELAWARE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD in PARTNERSHIP with

DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, DIVISION OF EMPLOYMENT AND

TRAINING (DET)

CONTRACT NUMBER LAB-24R-BCA-001

I. Overview The Delaware Workforce Development Board (“DWDB”) in partnership with Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Employment and Training (“DOL”) (collectively “Delaware”) seeks professional services to provide high quality occupational skills training and/or workforce preparation programs for adult career entrants or adult career changers.

Programs will support the attainment of the Performance Measures identified. This request for proposals (“RFP”) is issued pursuant to 29 Del. C. §§ 6981 and 6982.

This request for proposals (“RFP”) is issued pursuant to 29 Del. C. §§ 6981-82.

The proposed schedule of events subject to the RFP is outlined below:

Public Notice Date: Jan 19, 2024

Pre-bid Meeting Date: Jan 29,2024

Deadline for Questions Date: Jan 30, 2024

Response to Questions Posted by: Date: Feb 9, 2024 http://delcode.delaware.gov/title29/c069/sc06/index.shtml

STATE OF DELAWARE

DWDB and DOL-DET

Deadline for Receipt of Proposals Date: Feb 16, 2024, at 1:00 PM (Local

Time)

Proposal Review Date: Feb 21, 2024

Oral Clarification & Presentations Date: Mar 1, 2024

Consolidation Meeting Date Mar 5, 2024

DWDB Meeting Funding Recommendation Date: Mar 12, 2024

Estimated Notification of Award Date: March 14, 2024

Each proposal must be accompanied by a transmittal letter that briefly summarizes the proposing firm’s interest in providing the required professional services. The transmittal letter must also clearly state and justify any exceptions to the requirements of the RFP that applicant may have taken in presenting the proposal. (Applicant exceptions must also be recorded on

Attachment 3).

Furthermore, the transmittal letter must attest to the fact that, the bidder, if selected shall not store or transfer non-public State of Delaware data outside of the United States. For technology related solicitations, bidders may refer to the Delaware Department of Technology and Information identified terms and conditions included in this solicitation.

The State of Delaware reserves the right to deny any, and all exceptions taken to the RFP requirements.

PRE-BID MEETING

A pre-bid meeting has been established for this RFP Proposal on Monday, January 29, 2024.

This is not a mandatory meeting, however, the pre-bid meeting is very important for applicants and those who desire a compliant submission. This one meeting will explain the RFP, and the RFP process and address any questions or concerns from potential bidders. The pre-bid meeting will be held via Zoom. It is requested that you register by using the Zoom registration link below:

Zoom Registration Link https://delaware-gov.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYvf-

CvpzIpHNCXWvnyzOLZ0r9kKTMsHvYZ https://delaware-gov.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYvf-

CvpzIpHNCXWvnyzOLZ0r9kKTMsHvYZ

II. Scope of Services For definitions of terms used throughout this RFP, refer to Appendix C, Definitions.

A. Eligible Applicant

1. All Providers must have the State of Delaware license(s), be considered a non-profit, or be a public entity and have any certification(s) necessary to perform services as identified in the scope of services.

2. All Providers must be one of the following:

a. A State of Delaware public institution or training center; or

b. An institution of higher education described in Section 102 of the Higher Education Act (20 USC 1002) that is qualified to participate in the student financial assistance programs authorized by title IV of that Act; or

c. A private business or trade school approved by the Department of Education. If Provider is not an approved Private Business and Trade School by the Department of Education https://www.doe.k12.de.us/domain/158 at the time of proposal submission, Provider must be approved prior to contract execution; or

d. Providers must be either a public entity or non-profit organization if opting to provide either only Workforce Preparation services (not Occupational Skills Training Programs) (see section III.D.2).

3. All Providers must provide documentation of compliance with 1 and 2 above. See section V for more information.

B. Population Proposers can target specific populations and should identify them in their proposal(s), but at a minimum, the population served will be:

1. 18 years or older;

2. Eligible to work in the United States;

3. Focused on Delaware Residents; and

4. Focused on those with barriers to employment and/or barriers to career advancement.

https://delaware-gov.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYvf-CvpzIpHNCXWvnyzOLZ0r9kKTMsHvYZ https://delaware-gov.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYvf-CvpzIpHNCXWvnyzOLZ0r9kKTMsHvYZ https://www.doe.k12.de.us/domain/158

Additional points will be provided to Providers who propose services to the following:

a. Individuals residing in promise communities (see Appendix C) and/or

b. Individuals re-entering society. This will meet the definition of “Offender” in the Appendix C and is defined as any individual (adult or juvenile) who:

i. has been subject to any stage of the criminal justice process, for whom services under this RFP may be beneficial or

ii. who requires assistance in overcoming artificial barriers to employment resulting from a record of arrest or conviction.

All participants served must be determined and documented as eligible prior to enrolling by the Provider in accordance with DOL E&T policies.

C. Performance Measures The performance measures for programs funded with this RFP are in the chart below*. All programs must have program designs that support the attainment of these measures. All measures except the Employment Outcome Day 1 Wage are a percentage of the total participants served.

Performance Measure Expected Rate of

Participants

Training Program Completion 80%

Credential Attainment (for Occupational

Skills Training Programs only) 75%

Day 1 Outcome 80%

Day 1 Training Related (for Occupational

Skills Training Programs only) 70%

Day 1 Wage $15.00

Day 30 Follow-Up 75%

Day 60 Follow-Up 72%

Day 90 Follow-Up 70%

Important note: see definitions of Day 1 Outcome, Day 1 – 90 Follow-up.

*Providers may propose alternative expected rates and performance measures.

This must be done in the proposal and must include employment related outcomes with justification for the alternative provided.

D. Program Design The intent of this RFP is to fund programs that provide services, instruction, and supports that result in the outcomes described in Performance Measures (Section III.C). The intended result is that participants obtain unsubsidized employment or unsubsidized employment in combination with continued education as appropriate for the industry/occupation to enable participants to realize their career path and put their plan into action. In order to accomplish this, there are Required Elements (see next section) and then Training Strategies (see section 2 after Required Elements) in which Providers can propose.

1. Required Elements and Tasks - In order to implement programs, the following are required of all Providers. All Providers will:

a. Recruit, determine, and document eligibility for Provider’s program participants.

b. Maintain documentation for each participant, including eligibility, attendance, assessments, credentials, certificates, and outcomes. Providers will provide documentation to Delaware and/or their designees upon request;

c. Enter participant information and activities into Delaware JobLink (DJL) in accordance with DOL E&T policies and procedures for participant tracking and performance measure reporting. Budgets should reflect staffing to complete this task;

d. Attend all required meetings and trainings. Currently, there are monthly and quarterly meetings that are attended by program staff.

e. Provide objective assessments to determine participants likelihood for success in proposed program as well as service needs. This will include assessments to:

i. Determine reading and math skills. Basic language and numeric skills training will be provided concurrently with skills training as appropriate. Assessments provided by the local education agency (e.g. Smarter Balance, PSAT, and SAT) may be used to assess reading and math skills. Providers are encouraged to use assessment approved by the National Reporting System found on Appendix B. Assessments may be completed by Provider or by a partner. Assessments previously completed within the 6 months prior to enrollment into the programs may be used;

ii. Career/Occupational Interests through tools such as the O*Net Interest Profiler found at https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip or other https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip method to determine interest, appropriate career pathway and fit for program. Prior assessments or planning tools completed may be used such as the Student Success Plan completed in Delaware’s secondary schools; and

iii. Wraparound/Supportive Service needs of each participant to identifying appropriate services and referrals for participants. This may be done through the completion of an Individualized Service Strategy (see below);

f. Develop Individualized Service Strategies (ISS) for each participant. The ISS will include an ultimate employment goal, along with incremental work readiness, academic steps and credentials needed to achieve the goal. The ISS will be reviewed and updated regularly by program staff and will need to be uploaded in DJL;

g. Offer training appropriate to the intended job placement opportunity and demonstrate that the curriculum/services being offered through proposed training meets the current and projected needs of the local employers;

h. Offer, or refer to, entrepreneurial skills training, when appropriate to the occupation and/or individual service strategy;

i. Integrate the use of Paid Work Experience into proposed program. See section III.E below. For those offering Occupational Skills Training Programs, any participant that is not employed within 30 days of the 90-day intensive job search and placement period (see k. below) will go into a Paid Work Experience.

j. Provide intensive job search and placement assistance to participants which includes preparing participants for unsubsidized employment opportunities. For those offering Occupational Skills Training (see section 2 below), Provider will have up to a 90-day intensive job search and placement period to obtain Day 1 outcome. This period begins the last day or completion of the education/training;

k. Utilize Delaware JobLink to maximize participants’ job search and placement. At a minimum, participants will create a jobseeker account in Delaware JobLink (https://joblink.delaware.gov) which includes building at least one (1) resume;

l. Track, document and record employment outcomes and retention up to 90 days;

m. Have and maintain appropriate linkages to various supportive services to ensure wrap around services enabling successful program completions, job placement and retention. Linkages shall include referrals for substance/alcohol abuse, financial literacy, basic needs, and mental health. Providers that request funds for supportive services will document linkages with other https://joblink.delaware.gov/ human service Providers; and

n. Provide retention services, as necessary, including during the day and evening to meet performance measures for 6 months following exit of participants.

2. Training Strategies-In addition to the Required Elements, Provider must implement one or more of the following Training Strategies:

a. Occupational Skills Training-Occupational Skills training is occupational specific training designed to provide individuals with the technical skills and information required to perform a specific job or group of jobs. Occupational Skills Training can occur in the classroom and/or online. Occupational Skills Training is any training of the type normally conducted in an institutional setting, including vocational education, which is designed to provide individuals with technical skills and information required to perform a specific job or group of jobs. This training must meet all the following:

i. Provide training that leads to an occupation or advancement in an occupation that is on the In-Demand Occupation List (Appendix C) and/or aligned to a Department of Education (DOE) state model program of study found at https://de.gov/DOEprogramsstudy.

Proposals for occupational skills training in occupations not targeted on the in-demand occupations list or within a DOE state model program of study are permissible with comprehensive documentation supporting the need for training. The supportive documentation must accompany the proposal; and

ii. Lead to a credential; and

iii. Have the required Pathways Common Elements as described in the chart below. Some of these common elements are required and some are considered a bonus, in which, bonus points will be allotted by the evaluation team when the proposals are scored. The following is a list of all the Career Pathways common elements and if they are required or additional points:

Pathways Common Element

Required or

Additional https://de.gov/DOEprogramsstudy

Sector-Based Engagement Strategies: Education and training aligns with the academic and technical skills needed by Delaware employers.

Employer engagement occurs within targeted industry sectors, representing high-growth potential to the State of Delaware or regional economies, to determine prerequisite employment and career progression skill requirements for in-demand occupations.

Required

Contextualized Learning: Education and training focuses on academic and technical content. Curricula and instructional strategies are designed to engage employers through authentic work experiences and to help adults attain work- readiness skills. Work based learning where participants can engage and learn from employers is a required element. This can include job shadowing, paid work experience/internship, and clinical.

Required

Industry-recognized Credentials: Education and training programs lead to the attainment of industry-recognized credentials and/or an associate or bachelor’s degree that has value in the labor market. Please see the definition of Credential.

Required

Wraparound Services: Career pathways incorporate academic and career counseling and support services. Services are targeted at points of transition, provide individualized career plans, and support communities that are high poverty. Further, career pathways provide supports for nontraditional learners and individuals with barriers to employment.

Required

Stackable Educational and Training Options: Education and training includes the full range of secondary, adult education, and postsecondary education programs, including registered apprenticeships. Career pathways are a non- duplicative progression of courses clearly articulated from one (1) level of instruction to the next and provide opportunities to earn high school credit, adult basic education, and postsecondary credit, culminating in industry-recognized credentials and/or an associate or bachelor’s degree.

Required

Accelerated/Integrated Education and Training: Career pathways combine occupational skill training with adult education services, give credit for prior learning, offer remedial services as needed, and apply strategies that accelerate the educational and career advancement of adults.

Additional

Multiple Entry and Exit Points: Career pathways provide participants with opportunities to transition between formalized education and training programs and competitive employment, thus allowing participants of varying skill levels to pursue education or training to enter or advance in a specific sector or occupational field.

Additional

a. Workforce Preparation Programs-Workforce Preparation Programs may or may not target a specific occupational skill, but more broadly address barriers to unsubsidized employment. The delivery of services may take place in a classroom setting, one on one coaching, workshops, and use of Work Experience, and requires a focus on specific work behaviors, which may or may not be occupational skills. These programs must have intensive case management or career coaching services that support the participant’s career exploration, barrier busting, and achievement of skills to obtain and retain employment. The training is provided for individuals who lack actual work experience, who have unacceptable work behaviors, or have other barriers to employment.

b. ABE/GED-Instruction on the basic skills required to achieve a High School Diploma/GED. This is completed as classroom training by a State of Delaware, Department of Education approved program. This training is provided for individuals who lack a high school diploma or GED and will be offered in conjunction with any of the above Training Strategies, but it is not an allowable activity as a standalone service.

3. Work Experience -- All Providers must integrate the use of Paid Work Experience into proposed program. All Providers should budget for this expense in their Proposals. Budgets should include wages, fringes, temporary staffing fees, and provider staff to develop and monitor Work Experience sites.

Paid Work Experience are defined as a planned, structured learning experience that takes place in a workplace (a public, private for-profit sector, or private non-profit organization) for a limited period.

Work Experience is used for participants who:

i. need assistance in becoming accustomed to basic work requirements and be designed to promote the development of good work habits and basic work skills for individuals who have never worked or who have been out of the labor force for an extended period;

ii. provide hands-on experience that reinforces the classroom training when implemented with other Training Strategies; or

iii. desire an occupation where the skills for the desired occupation are typically attained through Work Experience or On the Job Training.

For all participants, it provides skills that may be added to participants’ resumes as well as linking participants to local employers. Participation in work experience shall be for a reasonable length of time, based on the needs of the participant, which shall be documented in the participant’s ISS. Generally, work experience for adults may not exceed the greater of six (6) months. All participants who participate in Work Experiences must be paid as an employee earning at least the State of Delaware minimum wage and may not be classified as independent contractors that would necessitate the issuance of a form 1099.

Labor standards apply in any work experience where an employee/employer relationship, as defined by the Fair Labor Standards Act or applicable State law, exists. Funds provided for work experiences may not be used to directly or indirectly aid in the filling of a job opening that is vacant because the former occupant is on strike or is being locked out in the course of a labor dispute, or the filling of which is otherwise an issue in a labor dispute involving a work stoppage. No worker should be supplanted due to a Work Experience.

When implementing this, Provider must either:

i. opt to place participants on your organization’s payroll. Participants must be treated like all other employees, for example, having all required deductions, including FICA, UI taxes, etc., as well as be covered under your organization’s worker’s compensation policy during their work experience time; or

ii. Opt to use a temporary staffing agency to employ participants during the work experience time. The following is the link to the state procured temporary service agencies http://contracts.delaware.gov/contracts_detail.asp?i=3600 . Provider must use one of these agencies.

Providers will be required to document and monitor Work Experience in accordance with DOL Policies and Procedures.

There are the following exemptions to paid Work Experiences when implemented with Occupational Skills Training Programs that lead to employment in an occupation that requires all of the following:

i. A state issued license is required to work in the occupation;

ii. That license requires clinical hours; and

iii. It is common practice that the clinical hours are not paid.

An example is the required clinical hours for a CNA program.

Participants doing Experiences with contractor’s organization shall be limited to 10% of the total participants for the contract period. A waiver to this may be requested and approved at the sole discretion of DOL.

4. Additional Points

Delaware will award Bonus Points in three (3) areas. They are not required, only desired. Proposals can seek A Points for more than one (1) of two areas, if more than one applies. They are:

1. Pathways-Delaware encourages pathways programming. This is described in section (III)(D)(2). Up to 6 points can be allotted to proposals that demonstrate that at least one (1) of the common elements designated as “bonus” are in the program design. This should be described in the proposal.

2. Leveraged Resources- Delaware encourages the use of braided funding from multiple sources to achieve programmatic goals. Up to five (5) points can be allotted to proposals that demonstrate a collaboration through braiding funds, direct financial or in-kind contributions by other programs, employers, investors, stakeholder, etc. This should be described in the proposal.

III. Funding

The source funds for this solicitation are received from the Delaware Blue Collar Jobs Development Both Act (“BC”). The anticipated aggregate amount for BC d=funding available for all programs to be funded through this RFP is $1,296,684. The funding level identified is an estimate, based on historical information. The estimate is subject to change without notice. This is the anticipated amount for one year. Delaware established the following priorities for funding for the workforce system.

1. Prioritize investments in sectors that will enable Delawareans to get back to work and increase growth in high-skill, high-wage jobs. DWDB will address the immediate needs of our economy to ensure jobs are filled that enable Delaware families to enter or re-enter the workforce. These are designated in the DWDB Strategic Plan as the “enabling sector” such as individual and family services, education, home health industries. The second area of focus is on growth sectors (healthcare, advanced manufacturing, technology including biotech, fintech, IT, and construction).

2. Raise the bar on educational attainment to reflect the needs of our future economy. Most jobs require education or training beyond high school. Our goal is to increase credential and degree attainment in Delaware from approximately 50.9% to 60% by 2030. DWDB will fund programs that lead to an industry recognized certification or degree.

3. Increase alignment between learning and work and improve how we build talent pipelines. DWDB looks to programs that break down barriers between learning and work through work-based learning experiences, internships, mentoring, apprenticeships, etc. Programs that have a work experience component are essential as they increase alignment of what an employer’s need will be prioritized. This includes prioritizing programs that include digital literacy and durable skills training.

4. Expand opportunity to increase economic prosperity for all Delawareans.

Educational and economic equity are foundational to the health of our state.

DWDB’s goal is to dramatically reduce the gaps that exist today based on race, ethnicity, disability, and income. DWDB will fund programs that target marginalized populations.

5. The DWDB reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to use funds received under the American Rescue Plan Act in the place of some or all of the Blue-

Collar funds available under this RFP.

6. There is no limit on the number of awards resulting from this RFP. The number of awards will be determined by the quality of the proposal submitted and available funding. The DWDB reserves the right to take into consideration.

geographic distribution as well as the previous performance, demonstrated readiness of the provider, and the items identified in the Proposal Selection Criteria (VI)(C)(4).

7. Tuition fee contracts may be allowed when documentation of the following conditions is provided: Tuition charges or entrance fees are not more than the education institution’s catalog price, are necessary to receive specific training, and the training is open to and attended by the general public. When requesting reimbursement for tuition, Private Business and Trade Schools must comply with the Department of Education Private Business and Trade

Schools Refund policy

8. Programs funded with this RFP will result in a hybrid contract, with funding of 60% cost reimbursement and 40% performance based. Delaware will require a line item budget as part of the proposal that reflects 100% of the request. To implement contract, a line item budget reflecting only the cost reimbursement portion will be incorporated into the executed contract. For the cost reimbursement portion, Provider will be required to submit monthly financial reports on the form prescribed, satisfactorily completed, within twelve

(12) calendar days of the close of the reporting period to DOL.

All reported expenditures must be in accordance with the approved budgeted attached to the resulting agreement and the Provider shall maintain detailed supporting documentation for all expenditures.

Performance payments will be based on Day 1 and Day 30 Outcomes as achieved, documented, and reported in the manner prescribed by DOL.

IV. Policies All providers will be required to be compliant with DOL E&T policies and procedures. In addition, the following apply to all Providers.

V. Required Information The following information shall be provided in each proposal. Failure to respond to any request for information within this proposal may result in rejection of the proposal at the sole discretion of Delaware.

A. Minimum Requirements

1. All Providers shall meet the criteria established in the Eligible

Applicant section (III)(A). Documentation of this must be submitted with submission of proposal.

2. Provider shall complete and submit the Proposal Submission Template (Appendix B).

3. Complete all appropriate attachments and forms as identified within the RFP.

The Minimum Criteria for Submission Checklist, Appendix E, will be used by Delaware to determine if Proposer meets the minimum requirements for submission. Providers are encouraged to use this checklist as well.

B. Prior to Contract Execution

The following will be provided to Delaware prior to contract execution with the successful Providers:

4. Proof of insurance and amount of insurance shall be furnished to Delaware prior to the start of the contract period and shall be no less than as identified in this RFP as indicated in section (VII)(G)(5) Insurance.

5. Any Provider without a current contract with Delaware Workforce Development Board or State of Delaware, will provide a copy of their most recent financial statement to State of Delaware to enable State of Delaware to establish their fiscal soundness and eligibility for a contract.

6. Results of a compliance check by the Department of Labor, Divisions of Industrial Affairs and Unemployment Insurance.

The State of Delaware may choose to not execute a contract resulting from this RFP due to the feedback obtained from these Division at its discretion.

7. Documentation of Provider being a private business or trade school approved by the Department of Education.

A. Performance Measures

The performance measures for programs funded with this RFP are provided in the charts below*. All programs must have program designs that support the attainment of these measures. All programs will be evaluated against these measures. Both sets of measures provided below in this RFP are subject to change as DWDB and DOL-DET re-negotiate measures with USDOL Subrecipients will be notified accordingly.

The following are the required under WIOA. Definitions of these measures can be found in USDOL TEGL 10-16. Performance Measures are a percentage of the participants exited.

https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEGL/TEGL_10-16_accessible_version.pdf

Employment or training activities or employment in the 2nd quarter after exit

62.5 %

Employment or training activities or employment in the 4th quarter after exit 64%

Median Earnings 2nd Quarter After Exit $2,150

Credential Attainment and in Employment or Training 76.5%

Measurable Skill Gains 60%

In order to capture performance and success on a “Real Time” basis, the following State

Performance Measures have been established. All measures except the Measurable

Skills Gain are a percentage of the total participants who exit the program.

Measurable Skills Gain 70%

Credential Attainment 85%

Day 1 Outcome 75%

Employment Outcome Day 1 Hourly

Wage (Average) $15.00

Day 30 Follow-Up 72%

Day 60 Follow-Up 70%

Day 90 Follow-Up 70%

Important note: see definitions of Day 1 Outcome, Day 1 – 90 Follow-up.

*Providers may propose alternative expected rates and performance measures. This must be done in the proposal and must include related outcomes with justification for the alternative provided.

B. Additional Points

Points will be awarded in two categories consisting of integration of:

1.Employer Participation–

a) Proposal includes at least three recent letters from employer partners.

The letters must include current or past hiring support. Letters should also display employer’s willingness to future hire. Not all categories have to be included on one letter.

1. Digital Literacy–

a) Program incorporates digital literacy into training. Participants will be exposed to various platforms used in today’s businesses.

C. Minimum Requirements

1. Provide Delaware license(s) and/or certification(s) necessary to perform services as identified in the scope of work.

2. Prior to the execution of an award document, the successful Vendor shall either furnish the Agency with proof of State of Delaware Business Licensure or initiate the process of application where required.

3. Vendor shall provide responses to the Request for Proposal (RFP) scope of work and clearly identify capabilities as presented in the General Evaluation Requirements below.

4. Complete all appropriate attachments and forms as identified within the RFP.

5. Proof of insurance and amount of insurance shall be furnished to the Agency prior to the start of the contract period and shall be no less than as identified in the bid solicitation, Section V, Item G, subsection 7 (insurance).

VI. Professional Services The following information shall be provided in each proposal in the order listed below. Failure to respond to any request for information within this proposal may result in rejection of the proposal at the sole discretion of the State.

A. Minimum Requirements

1. Provide Delaware license(s) and/or certification(s) necessary to perform services as identified in the scope of work.

2. Prior to the execution of an award document, the successful Vendor shall either furnish the Agency with proof of State of Delaware Business Licensure or initiate the process of application where required.

3. Vendor shall provide responses to the Request for Proposal (RFP) scope of work and clearly identify capabilities as presented in the General Evaluation Requirements below.

4. Complete all appropriate attachments and forms as identified within the RFP.

5. Proof of insurance and amount of insurance shall be furnished to the Agency prior to the start of the contract period and shall be no less than as identified in the bid solicitation, Section V, Item G, subsection 7 (insurance).

B. General Evaluation Requirements

1. Demonstrated Ability

2. Program Design

3. Cost/Budget

4. Experience and Reputation

5. Capacity to meet requirements (size, financial condition, etc.)

6. Outcome Placement

7. Expertise

8. Location (geographical)

VII. Professional Services RFP Administrative Information A. RFP Issuance

1. Public Notice

Public notice has been provided in accordance with 29 Del. C. § 6981.

2. Obtaining Copies of the RFP

This RFP is available in electronic form through the State of Delaware Procurement website at https://bids.delaware.gov/. Paper copies of this RFP will not be available.

3. Assistance to Vendors with a Disability

Vendors with a disability may receive accommodation regarding the means of communicating this RFP or participating in the procurement process. For more http://delcode.delaware.gov/title29/c069/sc06/index.shtml#6981 https://bids.delaware.gov/ information, contact the Designated Contact no later than ten days prior to the deadline for receipt of proposals.

4. RFP Designated Contact

All requests, questions, or other communications about this RFP shall be made in writing to the State of Delaware. Address all communications to the person listed below; communications made to other State of Delaware personnel or attempting to ask questions by phone or in person will not be allowed or recognized as valid and may disqualify the vendor. Vendors should rely only on written statements issued by the RFP designated contact.

Monterry Luckey

Delaware Workforce Development Board

DWDBDETContracting@delaware.gov

To ensure that written requests are received and answered in a timely manner, please use this electronic mail (e-mail) correspondence.

Consultants and Legal Counsel

The State of Delaware may retain consultants or legal counsel to assist in the review and evaluation of this RFP and the vendors’ responses. Bidders shall not contact the

State’s consultant or legal counsel on any matter related to the RFP.

5. Contact with State Employees

Direct contact with State of Delaware employees other than the State of Delaware

Designated Contact regarding this RFP is expressly prohibited without prior consent.

Vendors directly contacting State of Delaware employees risk elimination of their proposal from further consideration. Exceptions exist only for organizations currently doing business in the State who require contact in the normal course of doing that business.

6. Organizations Ineligible to Bid

Any individual, business, organization, corporation, consortium, partnership, joint venture, or any other entity including subcontractors currently debarred or suspended is ineligible to bid. Any entity ineligible to conduct business in the State of Delaware for any reason is ineligible to respond to the RFP.

7. Exclusions

The Proposal Evaluation Team reserves the right to refuse to consider any proposal from a vendor who:

a. Has been convicted for commission of a criminal offense as an incident to obtaining or attempting to obtain a public or private contract or subcontract, or in the performance of the contract or subcontract.

b. Has been convicted under State or Federal statutes of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, receiving stolen property, or other offense indicating a lack of business integrity or business honesty that currently and seriously affects responsibility as a State contractor.

c. Has been convicted or has had a civil judgment entered for a violation under State or Federal antitrust statutes:

d. Has violated contract provisions such as;

1) Known failure without good cause to perform in accordance with the specifications or within the time limit provided in the contract; or

2) Failure to perform or unsatisfactory performance in accordance with terms of one or more contracts;

e. Has violated ethical standards set out in law or regulation; or

f. Any other cause listed in regulations of the State of Delaware determined to be serious and compelling as to affect responsibility as a State contractor, including suspension or debarment by another governmental entity for a cause listed in the regulations.

B. RFP Submissions

1. Acknowledgement of Understanding of Terms

By submitting a bid, each vendor shall be deemed to acknowledge that it has carefully read all sections of this RFP, including all forms, schedules and exhibits hereto, and has fully informed itself as to all existing conditions and limitations.

2. Proposals

To be considered, all proposals must be submitted in writing and respond to the items outlined in this RFP. The State reserves the right to reject any non-responsive or non-conforming proposals. Each proposal must be submitted with all electronic copies and the Proposal checklist confirming items submitted.

All properly sealed and marked proposals are to be sent to the State of Delaware and received no later than 1:00 PM (Local Time) on February 16, 2024. The Proposals must be received by email to the following contact email address with the bid# LAB-

24R-BCA-001 and Adult “Blue Collar” Bid noted in the subject line:

Monterry Luckey

DWDBDETContracting@Delaware.gov

Vendors are directed to clearly state “BID ENCLOSED” and “CONTRACT NO.

LAB-24R-BCA-001” in the subject line.

Any proposal received after the Deadline for Receipt of Proposals date shall not be considered and shall be returned unopened. The proposing vendor bears the risk of delays in delivery and any costs for returned proposals. The contents of any proposal shall not be disclosed as to be made available to competing entities during the negotiation process.

Upon receipt of vendor proposals, each vendor shall be presumed to be thoroughly familiar with all specifications and requirements of this RFP. The failure or omission to examine any form, instrument or document shall in no way relieve vendors from any obligation in respect to this RFP.

3. Proposal Modifications

Any changes, amendments or modifications to a proposal must be made in writing, submitted in the same manner as the original response and conspicuously labeled as a change, amendment, or modification to a previously submitted proposal. Changes, amendments, or modifications to proposals shall not be accepted or considered after the hour and date specified as the deadline for submission of proposals.

4. Proposal Costs and Expenses

The State of Delaware will not pay any costs incurred by any Vendor associated with any aspect of responding to this solicitation, including proposal preparation, printing or delivery, attendance at vendor’s conference, system demonstrations or negotiation process.

5. Proposal Expiration Date

Prices quoted in the proposal shall remain fixed and binding on the bidder at least through June 30, 2024. The State of Delaware reserves the right to ask for an extension of time if needed.

6. Late Proposals

Proposals received after the specified date and time will not be accepted or considered. To guard against premature opening, sealed proposals shall be submitted, plainly marked with the proposal title, vendor name, and time and date of the proposal opening. Evaluation of the proposals is expected to begin shortly after the proposal due date. To document compliance with the deadline, the proposal will be date and time stamped upon receipt.

7. Proposal Opening

There will be no public opening of proposals but a public log will be kept of the names of all vendor organizations that submitted proposals. The contents of any proposal shall not be disclosed in accordance with Executive Order # 31 and Title 29, Delaware

Code, Chapter 100. Any unopened proposals will be returned to the submitting

Vendor.

8. Non-Conforming Proposals

Non-conforming proposals will not be considered. Non-conforming proposals are defined as those that do not meet the requirements of this RFP. The determination of whether an RFP requirement is substantive, or a mere formality shall reside solely within the State of Delaware.

9. Concise Proposals

The State of Delaware discourages overly lengthy and costly proposals. It is the desire that proposals be prepared in a straightforward and concise manner. Unnecessarily elaborate brochures or other promotional materials beyond those sufficient to present a complete and effective proposal are not desired. The State of Delaware’s interest is in the quality and responsiveness of the proposal.

10. Realistic Proposals

It is the expectation of the State of Delaware that vendors can fully satisfy the obligations of the proposal in the manner and timeframe defined within the proposal.

Proposals must be realistic and must represent the best estimate of time, materials and other costs including the impact of inflation and any economic or other factors that are reasonably predictable.

The State of Delaware shall bear no responsibility or increase obligation for a vendor’s failure to accurately estimate the costs or resources required to meet the obligations defined in the proposal.

11. Confidentiality of Documents http://governor.delaware.gov/orders/exec_order_31.shtml http://delcode.delaware.gov/title29/c100/index.shtml

The State of Delaware and its constituent agencies are required to comply with the

State of Delaware Freedom of Information Act, 29 Del. C. § 10001, et seq. (“FOIA”).

FOIA requires that the State of Delaware’s records are public records (unless otherwise declared by FOIA or other law to be exempt from disclosure) and are subject to inspection and copying by any person upon a written request. All proposals are subject to FOIA’s public disclosure obligations.

The State of Delaware wishes to create a business-friendly environment and procurement process. As such, the State respects the vendor community’s desire to protect its intellectual property, trade secrets, and confidential business information

(collectively referred to herein as “confidential business information”). Proposals must contain sufficient information to be evaluated. If a vendor feels that they cannot submit their proposal without including confidential business information, they must adhere to the following procedure, or their proposal may be deemed unresponsive, may not be recommended for selection, and any applicable protection for the vendor’s confidential business information may be lost.

In order to allow the State to assess its ability to protect a vendor’s confidential business information, vendors will be permitted to designate appropriate portions of their proposal as confidential business information.

Vendor(s) may submit portions of a proposal considered to be confidential business information in a separate, sealed envelope labeled “Confidential Business Information” and include the specific RFP number. The envelope must contain a letter from the vendor’s legal counsel describing the documents in the envelope, representing in good faith that the information in each document is not “public record” as defined by 29 Del.

C. § 10002, and briefly stating the reasons that each document meets the said definitions.

Upon receipt of a proposal accompanied by such a separate, sealed envelope, the

State of Delaware will open the envelope to determine whether the procedure described above has been followed. A vendor’s allegation as to its confidential business information shall not be binding on the State. The State shall independently determine the validity of any vendor designation as set forth in this section. Any vendor submitting a proposal or using the procedures discussed herein expressly accepts the

State’s absolute right and duty to independently assess the legal and factual validity of any information designated as confidential business information. Accordingly, vendor(s) assume the risk that confidential business information included in a proposal may enter the public domain.

12. Multi-Vendor Solutions (Joint Ventures)

Multi-vendor solutions (joint ventures) will be allowed only if one of the venture partners is designated as the “prime contractor”. The “prime contractor” must be the joint venture’s contact point for the State of Delaware and be responsible for the joint venture’s performance under the contract, including all project management, legal and financial responsibility for the implementation of all vendor systems. If a joint venture is proposed, a copy of the joint venture agreement clearly describing the responsibilities of the partners must be submitted with the proposal. Services specified in the proposal shall not be subcontracted without prior written approval by the State of Delaware, and approval of a request to subcontract shall not in any way relieve

Vendor of responsibility for the professional and technical accuracy and adequacy of the work. Further, vendor shall be and remain liable for all damages to the State of

Delaware caused by negligent performance or non-performance of work by its subcontractor or its sub-subcontractor.

Multi-vendor proposals must be a consolidated response with all cost included in the cost summary. Where necessary, RFP response pages are to be duplicated for each vendor.

a. Primary Vendor

The State of Delaware expects to negotiate and contract with only one “prime vendor”. The State of Delaware will not accept any proposals that reflect an equal teaming arrangement or from vendors who are co-bidding on this RFP. The prime vendor will be responsible for the management of all subcontractors.

Any contract that may result from this RFP shall specify that the prime vendor is solely responsible for fulfillment of any contract with the State as a result of this procurement. The State will make contract payments only to the awarded vendor.

Payments to any-subcontractors are the sole responsibility of the prime vendor

(awarded vendor).

Nothing in this section shall prohibit the State of Delaware from the full exercise of its options under Section IV.B.18 regarding multiple source contracting.

b. Sub-contracting

The vendor selected shall be solely responsible for contractual performance and management of all subcontract relationships. This contract allows subcontracting assignments; however, vendors assume all responsibility for work quality, delivery, installation, maintenance, and any supporting services required by a subcontractor.

Use of subcontractors must be clearly explained in the proposal, and major subcontractors must be identified by name. The prime vendor shall be wholly responsible for the entire contract performance whether or not subcontractors are used. Any sub-contractors must be approved by State of

Delaware.

c. Multiple Proposals

A primary vendor may not participate in more than one proposal in any form. Sub-contracting vendors may participate in multiple joint venture proposals.

13. Discrepancies and Omissions

Vendor is fully responsible for the completeness and accuracy of their proposal, and for examining this RFP and all addenda. Failure to do so will be at the sole risk of vendor. Should vendor find discrepancies, omissions, unclear or ambiguous intent or meaning, or should any questions arise concerning this RFP, vendor shall notify the

State of Delaware’s Designated Contact, in writing, of such findings at least ten (10) days before the proposal opening. This will allow issuance of any necessary addenda.

It will also help prevent the opening of a defective proposal and exposure of vendor’s proposal upon which award could not be made. All unresolved issues should be addressed in the proposal.

Protests based on any omission or error, or on the content of the solicitation, will be disallowed if these faults have not been brought to the attention of the Designated

Contact, in writing, at least ten (10) calendar days prior to the time set for opening of the proposals.

a. RFP Question and Answer Process

The State of Delaware will allow written requests for clarification of the RFP. All questions shall be received no later than January 30, 2024. All questions will be consolidated into a single set of responses and posted on the State’s website at bids.delaware.gov by the date of February 9, 2024. Vendor names will be removed from questions in the responses released. Questions should be submitted in the following format. Deviations from this format will not be accepted.

● Section number

● Paragraph number

● Page number

● Text of passage being questioned

Questions not submitted electronically shall be accompanied by a CD and questions shall be formatted in Microsoft Word.

14. State’s Right to Reject Proposals

The State of Delaware reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals or any part of any proposal, to waive defects, technicalities or any specifications (whether they be in the State of Delaware’s specifications or vendor’s response), to sit and act as sole judge of the merit and qualifications of each product offered, or to solicit new proposals on the same project or on a modified project which may include portions of the originally proposed project as the State of Delaware may deem necessary in the best interest of the State of Delaware.

15. State’s Right to Cancel Solicitation

The State of Delaware reserves the right to cancel this solicitation at any time during the procurement process, for any reason or for no reason. The State of Delaware makes no commitments expressed or implied, that this process will result in a business transaction with any vendor.

This RFP does not constitute an offer by the State of Delaware. Vendor’s participation in this process may result in the State of Delaware selecting your organization to engage in further discussions and negotiations toward execution of a contract. The commencement of such negotiations does not, however, signify a commitment by the

State of Delaware to execute a contract nor to continue negotiations. The State of

Delaware may terminate negotiations at any time and for any reason, or for no reason.

16. State’s Right to Award Multiple Source Contracting

Pursuant to 29 Del. C. § 6986, the State of Delaware may award a contract for a particular professional service to two or more vendors if the agency head makes a determination that such an award is in the best interest of the State of Delaware.

17. Potential Contract Overlap

Vendors shall be advised that the State, at its sole discretion, shall retain the right to solicit for goods and/or services as required by its…