RFP QAAA 2026000189 Amendment #01.pdf

RFP QAAA 2026000189

Child Care Licensing Inspectors

Amendment #01

The purpose of this Amendment #01 is to incorporate the recording of the Pre-Proposal

Conference, the PowerPoint presentation and a summary list of questions and answers (Q&A) received during the conference, to the Request for Proposals (RFP) document:

➢ Pre-Bid Conference Recording:

o https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ht6AAffggGcCgwXK7msGSNOIeStAZCIs/view

➢ PowerPoint Presentation:

o Please refer to the slides attached below.

➢ Summarized Q&A Document:

o Please reference the summarized notes and list of questions and answers from the Pre-Proposal Conference below.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ht6AAffggGcCgwXK7msGSNOIeStAZCIs/view

Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC)

Division of Early Learning Licensing & Administration (DELLA)

Child Care Licensing Inspections

● DELLA is responsible for inspecting, licensing, and monitoring family child care homes, child care centers, preschools, school-age child care programs, neighborhood youth organizations, and children’s resident camps.

● Currently, over 4,625 licensed facilities are inspected by 72 licensing specialists, with each facility inspected at least once a year.

Introduction

CDEC is seeking a Vendor(s) to provide licensing recommendations, oversight, and enforcement to programs and providers in Arapahoe, Clear Creek, El Paso, Gilpin, Jefferson, and Pueblo Counties.

Solicitation Purpose

The anticipated term of the resulting contract(s) is July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. The resulting contract(s) may be renewed for up to four additional one-year periods, not to exceed a maximum term of five years, at the sole discretion of the State, contingent upon funds being appropriated, budgeted, and otherwise made available, and other contractual requirements being satisfied.

Anticipated Contract Term

Demonstrated Experience and Capabilities

● Please provide a detailed company overview that includes your organizational structure, mission and vision statements, years in business, and current staffing levels.

● Please provide information about the organization’s experience in delivering services comparable to the scope and depth of this project, to include a list of similar projects that have been successfully completed.

Proposal Criteria

• Current resumes for all proposed staff.

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Human Services, Social

Work, Psychology, Sociology, Early Childhood Education, or a closely related field.

relevant qualifications.

• A minimum of three years of professional experience in human services, with demonstrated work in group care of children, child care licensing, early childhood education, or an equivalent field.

• Note - Substitutions: Professional work experience in group care of children, child care licensing, child protection, or an occupational field closely related to the work assignment that provides the same kind, amount, and level of knowledge acquired in the required education may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for the Bachelor’s

Degree requirement.

Proposal Criteria

• Background Checks. Pursuant to C.R.S. §27-90-111 Department vendor, and its agent(s), shall: submit to and successfully pass a criminal background check, and report any arrests, charges, or summonses for any disqualifying offense as specified by C.R.S. §27-

90-111 to the Department.

• Vendors must have the ability to travel great distances alone in all types of weather and road conditions, in personal vehicles, which may require overnight accommodations.

Project Requirements

RFP Proposal Format

& Submission Process

● Proposals must clearly demonstrate your organization's capacity to deliver all services specified in this RFP.

● Provide a narrative response that addresses the criteria outlined in

Section 5.0 - Proposal Content. The proposal narrative should not exceed 25 pages, excluding required attachments.

Proposal Format

● The proposal submission packet should include:

○ A narrative response that addresses questions 1 - 2 in

Section 5.0 - Proposal Content, of the RFP.

○ Exhibit A - Statement of Work Template - Payment

Schedule.

○ Resumes for proposed staff.

● Please note that any modifications to the terms and conditions listed within the State’s Contract Template

(Exhibit D) will be taken into account accordingly.

● Mandatory Criteria: Proposals that do not comply with the mandatory requirements as outlined in the RFP document will automatically be disqualified.

● Please ensure that you thoroughly review and respond to the items listed in Section 5.0 Proposal Content in the same sequence as outlined in this section. Proposals that do not follow the sequence outline and response format of this Request for Proposals (RFP) may be deemed non-responsive and disqualified from further consideration.

Submission Requirements

● Solicitations published by the CDEC will be posted on both BidNet Direct and the Vendor Self-Service (VSS) site, however all bid submissions will only be officially accepted on BidNet Direct at the deadline listed in the

Schedule of Activities.

● Vendors must be registered with BidNet Direct in order to download solicitation documents (including any amendments or modifications) and to be considered responsive at the time of submission of the response. Bidders who have not registered on the BidNet Direct website, must register promptly to ensure they are able to submit a timely bid response.

○ BidNet Direct: https://www.bidnetdirect.com/register

○ Vendor Self-Service (VSS): www.colorado.gov/vss

○ No submissions will be accepted via VSS so please ensure that the proposal is submitted in accordance with these instructions.

https://www.bidnetdirect.com/register http://www.colorado.gov/vss

Important Deadlines

▪ Inquiries Due: April 3, 2026, at 1:00pm

▪ Inquiries Answered: April 10, 2026

▪ Submissions Due: April 17, 2026 @ 2pm

▪ Anticipated Start Date: July 1, 2026, or Upon execution of a

Contract.

Submission Requirements

Single Point of Contact: Raven Lopez/raven.lopez@state.co.us

*All communications regarding this solicitation must be emailed to the designated point of contact listed above; contacting anyone else may result in disqualification, except for the Colorado Supplier Diversity Navigator at the

Statewide Equity Office of Supplier Diversity for submission assistance.

mailto:raven.lopez@state.co.us

Questions?

March 25, 2026

Child Care Licensing Inspectors

Summary

DELLA division detailed vendor requirements for licensing oversight and enforcement, covering 6 counties with a 5-year maximum term.

DELLA Division Licensing Scope

The Division of Early Learning Licensing and Administration (DELLA) oversees 4,625 facilities using 72 specialists and is seeking a vendor for licensing, oversight, and enforcement across 6 specific counties. The contract term is July 1, 2026, through

June 30, 2027, with the possibility of up to 4 one-year renewals, for a 5-year maximum.

Vendor Proposal Staff Requirements

Vendors must provide a detailed company overview and demonstrate relevant experience in providing comparable services to the project scope. Proposed staff must have a bachelor's degree in a relevant field and 3 years of professional experience, or equivalent work experience may substitute the degree requirement on a year-by-year basis.

Proposal Format and Deadlines

Proposals must be submitted through the BIDNET Direct system and strictly follow the sequential order of items in Section 5.0 of the RFP, with the narrative not exceeding

25 pages excluding résumés. Multiple awards may be issued based on responses and budget, and all proposal packets are due on April 17th at 2 p.m.

Details

● Overview of DELLA Division Responsibilities and Scope: The DELLA division, which is the division of early learning licensing and administration, is responsible for inspecting, licensing, and monitoring various childcare facilities, including family childcare homes, centers, preschools, and children's residence camps. They currently oversee approximately 4,625 licensed facilities, which are inspected by 72 licensing specialists, with annual licensing inspections being a minimum requirement. The division is seeking a vendor to provide licensing recommendations, oversight, and enforcement in Arapahoe, Clear Creek, El Paso, Gilpin, Jefferson, and Pueblo counties.

● Contract Term and Renewal Options: The anticipated contract term for the resulting contracts will run from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, as part of a five-year Request for Proposal (RFP) process. These contracts may be renewed for up to four additional one-year periods, not to exceed a maximum term of five years, contingent upon appropriated funding and other contractual requirement.

● Proposal Content and Personnel Criteria: Vendors must provide a detailed company overview, including organizational structure, mission, value statements, years in business, and current staffing levels, along with information about their experience delivering services comparable to the project's scope. Proposed staff should have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college in a relevant field such as human services or early childhood education, and a minimum of three years of professional experience in human services with demonstrated work in the group care of children, childcare licensing, or an equivalent field. Professional experience in related occupational fields may be substituted on a year-by-year basis for the bachelor's degree requirement.

● Project Requirements and Staff Travel: Project requirements include successful completion of criminal background checks for the vendor and their agents, as mandated by Colorado revised statutes 27-911. Vendors and their agents must also have the ability to travel great distances in personal vehicles, in various weather and road conditions, which may necessitate overnight accommodations.

● Proposal Format and Submission Requirements: Proposals must clearly demonstrate the vendor's ability to deliver all services outlined in the RFP document and its associated exhibits, including a narrative response to the criteria in Section 5.0 of the RFP document. The proposal should not exceed 25 pages, excluding required attachments such as the completed payment schedule from Exhibit A and current résumés for all proposed staff. Proposals that do not respond to or comply with any mandatory criteria listed in Section

5.0 will be automatically disqualified, and responses must follow the sequential order of items outlined in Section 5 of the RFP.

● Submission Platform and Contact Protocols: All bid submissions are officially accepted only through the BIDNET Direct procurement system, and vendors must register with BIDNET Direct to download solicitation documents and submit a timely bid response. Raven Lopez is the single point of contact for this

RFP, and contacting anyone else on the CDEC team may result in the disqualification of a proposal.

● Important Submission Deadlines: Vendors have an opportunity to submit questions after the pre-proposal conference, which must be sent to Raven

Lopez by April 3rd at 1 p.m., with responses issued no later than close of business on April 10th. Proposal packets are due on April 17th at 2 p.m., and the anticipated contract start date is July 1, 2026, or upon contract execution.

● Clarification on Document Page Limits and Multiple Awards: While résumés are excluded from the 25-page limitation, reference letters are included within that maximum page count. Vendors may bid on any of the specified counties and are not required to bid on all of them, as the department plans on making multiple awards through this RFP, depending on the responses received and the project budget.

● Clarification on Proposal Roles and Format: The licensing supervisor mentioned in the Statement of Work template refers to a position that should be on the vendor's team. While having separate roles is recommended due to the significant responsibilities of a supervisor, the supervisor may also serve as a licensing specialist, as the contract is fixed-price. Responses to the experience questions in the content section of the RFP are considered part of the required narrative and may include tables, but vendors should be mindful of the 25-page limitation requirement

Suggested next steps

Raven Lopez - CDEC will respond to the questions submitted by the deadline no later than the close of business on April 10th.