RFP QAAA 2026000189 Child Care Licensing Inspector.pdf

Page 1 of 17 RFP12-2025A

Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC)

Request for Proposals (RFP)

Child Care Licensing Inspections

RFP QAAA 2026000189

Publication Date: March 13, 2026

Page 2 of 17 RFP12-2025A

Signature Page

VENDORS: Reference the solicitation document below for the response deadline and other response submission information and requirements.

Vendors responding to this solicitation are required to complete this page in its entirety, sign it, and submit it along with their response. This page must include either a physical or electronic signature, as defined by the

"Uniform Electronic Transactions Act," section 24-71.3-102 (8), to indicate the vendor's intent to be bound by their submission. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in disqualification of the vendor's response.

The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that any misrepresentation made in their response or in subsequent discussions or information provided to the State may be considered sufficient grounds for the State to decline to enter into a contract. Furthermore, any later discovery of omissions or misrepresentations in the solicitation response or in subsequent discussions may lead to the cancellation of any existing contract.

Legal Vendor Name:

Vendor Address:

Vendor Primary Contact Name:

Vendor Primary Contact Email:

Vendor Primary Contact Phone:

Name and email address of individual submitting this proposal (if different from the primary contact):

Is the Vendor a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) pursuant to C.R.S. §24- 103-905?

Is the Vendor currently on any debarred list?

Are you receiving funding from multiple sources for this project? (Yes/No)

● If yes, please provide details on how this proposal is a separate project from the others and how funding will be monitored.

o A duplication occurs when a person, household, business, or other entity receives federal assistance from multiple grant sources for the same purpose, and the total assistance received for that purpose is more than the total need. The amount of the Duplication of Benefit (DOB) is the amount received in excess of the total need for the same purpose. Any persons, business concerns, or other entities that are the recipient of duplicative assistance are liable to the United States for the amount of duplicated aid and the agency that provided the duplicative assistance is responsible for debt collection.

o Grant funds cannot be used to supplant current funding or existing activities. “Supplant” is defined as replacing funding of a recipient's existing program with funds from a state, federal, Page 3 of 17 RFP12-2025A or local funding.

Individual authorized to bind the Vendor to the proposal submission for this RFP:

Signature of individual authorized to bind the Vendor to the proposal submission for this RFP:

*If applicable, I confirm that my printed name acts as my signature.

Page 4 of 17 RFP12-2025A

Schedule of Activities

Single Point of Contact: Raven Lopez – raven.lopez@state.co.us Please note that phone lines may not be consistently monitored, email is the preferred method of communication. The individual listed above is the sole point of contact for this solicitation. Please note that reaching out to anyone other than this individual may lead to disqualification of an offer, with the exception of the Colorado Supplier Diversity Navigator at the Statewide Equity Office of Supplier Diversity for the sole purpose of assisting with submission of the solicitation.

Solicitation Purpose: 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.

Eligibility Requirements: Any organization that can provide the services as outlined in this solicitation.

Service Location/Delivery Area: Arapahoe, Clear Creek, El Paso, Gilpin, Jefferson, and Pueblo Counties – Colorado.

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

Anticipated Contract Term: 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 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.

Submission Method: Electronic. Reference Section 2.0 - Proposal Submission Instructions, for more information.

Pre-Proposal Conference: March 25, 2026, at 9:00am

* There will be a Pre-Proposal Conference. Reference Section 2.0 - Proposal Submission Instructions, for more information.

Inquiry Due Date and Time: April 3, 2026, at 1:00pm

* Please send any questions via email to the Single Point of Contact prior to the inquiry deadline. Reference Section 2.0 - Proposal Submission Instructions, for more information.

Answers to Inquiries: April 10, 2026

* Reference Section 2.0 - Proposal Submission Instructions, for more information.

Proposal Due Date and Time: April 17, 2026 @ 2pm

* Reference Section 2.0 - Proposal Submission Instructions, for more information.

Public Opening Date and Time: April 17, 2026, at 3pm

* Reference Section 2.0 - Proposal Submission Instructions, for more information.

Note: All dates and times are subject to change and are listed in Mountain Time.

mailto:raven.lopez@state.co.us

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1.0 Exhibit List

● Exhibit A - Statement of Work (SOW) Template (Complete and Return)

● Exhibit B - Additional Provisions (For Review Only)

● Exhibit C - Vendor Contact Information Sheet (For Review Only)

● Exhibit D - CDEC Personal Services Contract Template (For Review Only)

● Exhibit E - Contract Federal Provisions (For Review Only)

2.0 Proposal Submission Instructions

i. Electronic Procurement Systems. 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 by the deadline listed in the Schedule of Activities.

ii. Electronic Bid Submission. 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. Information may be accessed through the BidNet Direct website at:

https://www.bidnetdirect.com/register. Bidnet Direct’s Help Desk can be reached at 800-835-4603 or by email at: support@bidnet.com. No submissions will be accepted via VSS so please ensure that the proposal is submitted in accordance with these instructions.

iii. File Names. The zip file name should start with the solicitation type, solicitation number, and vendor name (e.g., “RFP QAAA 20XX000XXX Vendor Name…”).

iv. Confirmation. Vendors will receive an email confirmation that the file was uploaded correctly. If not, please contact the BidNet Direct Help Desk.

v. Pre-Proposal Conference.

There will be an optional pre-proposal conference offered. The format of this meeting will be a 15-minute presentation followed by a 30-minute questions and answers (Q&A) session. Please note that during the Q&A session, if there are no questions received after a period of time, the Pre- Proposal conference will end. Please refer to the information below on how to attend the conference:

March 25, 2026, at 9:00am Meeting Link: meet.google.com/wnr-bmhz-ypj Dial in: 8603-436-(US) +1 414 PIN: 149 462 732#

vi. Public Bid Opening. During the public bid opening, CDEC will formally open and announce all received proposals, revealing each bidder's name and submission timestamp to all attendees. To attend the Public Bid Opening, please refer to the information below on how to attend:

April 17, 2026, at 3:00pm Meeting Link: meet.google.com/bxr-bgni-fmq Dial in: (US) +1 614-379-1393 PIN: 945 175 471#

vii. Questions. Vendors may submit questions by email to the Single Point of Contact prior to the inquiry deadline identified in the Schedule of Activities above. The Department may answer some, all, or none of the questions asked by posting them publicly via an amendment to this solicitation on both the BidNet and VSS sites. The state reserves the right to decline to answer any questions that do not pertain to the bid, are deemed offensive, or to decline to answer any question for any reason.

viii. Timeliness of Proposal Submission. Proposals received after the submission deadline shall not be opened and shall be rejected as a late proposal, unless otherwise permitted by the procurement https://www.bidnetdirect.com/register mailto:support@bidnet.com meet.google.com/wnr-bmhz-ypj meet.google.com/bxr-bgni-fmq

Page 6 of 17 RFP12-2025A official in accordance with Colorado Procurement Rule R-24-103-201-10.

ix. Deadline Adherence. Time is of the essence. Failure of a vendor to respond to any requests by established deadlines may result in the proposal being rejected.

x. Multiple or Alternate Proposals. Unless otherwise stated in this solicitation, vendors shall not be limited in providing multiple or alternate proposals. In the event a vendor provides multiple or alternate proposals, each proposal must be submitted separately and distinctly to permit independent review based on the individual proposal. Further, any vendor submitting multiple or alternate proposals must expressly identify their preferred or primary proposal.

xi. Additional Resources:

● Vendor Assistance. Any vendors needing support responding to solicitations may contact the

Colorado Supplier Diversity Navigator at the Statewide Equity Office of Supplier Diversity, https://dhr.colorado.gov/statewide-equity-office/supplier-diversity. Services provided include assistance with responding to solicitations, interpretation of solicitation documents, technical assistance referrals. The office can be reached during normal business hours by calling 303-866-5765 or emailing DPA_SupplierDiversityHelp@state.co.us.

○ Statewide Equity Office of Supplier Diversity:

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__dhr.colorado.gov_statewide- 2Dequity-2Doffice_supplier- 2Ddiversity&d=DwMFaQ&c=sdnEM9SRGFuMt5z5w3AhsPNahmNicq64TgF1JwNR0cs&r= 2K9kkYDPzg9W7wrnb9URPPzWuzXzmzc6oQUqmP_d9mA&m=UsSCoCc_Nnj_It7iTj2w9X h- U0kW8zKwh7sIdTrgvW_OXQDDQG8CMBmOZsCmKo6l&s=AHk9LQL8xQKwtYW6AlMhIp Khc64M4gHnBm1wvGiKqhU&e=

● BidNet Direct: https://www.bidnetdirect.com/

● Vendor Self-Service (VSS) Site: https://prd.co.cgiadvantage.com/PRDVSS1X1/Advantage4

3.0 Proposal Format

i. In General. Proposals must clearly demonstrate the organization’s ability to perform the services described in this RFP.

ii. Maximum Length. Proposals should not exceed 25 pages (excluding any required attachments). The Department may evaluate proposals negatively if this page limit is not followed. Proposals must include all required attachments:

iii. Please 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.

iv. Please define all acronyms used in your proposal. Include any additional considerations, capabilities, or information that demonstrate your qualifications for this project.

v. Mandatory Requirements. Failure to address all mandatory requirements outlined in

Section 5.0 Proposal Content will result in disqualification.

4.0 Introduction and Background

The Division of Early Learning Licensing and Administration (DELLA) brings together the critical work to support child care with new approaches and priorities that enhance high-quality early learning experiences for Colorado children. The Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) ensures the https://dhr.colorado.gov/statewide-equity-office/supplier-diversity https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__dhr.colorado.gov_statewide-2Dequity-2Doffice_supplier-2Ddiversity&d=DwMFaQ&c=sdnEM9SRGFuMt5z5w3AhsPNahmNicq64TgF1JwNR0cs&r=2K9kkYDPzg9W7wrnb9URPPzWuzXzmzc6oQUqmP_d9mA&m=UsSCoCc_Nnj_It7iTj2w9Xh-U0kW8zKwh7sIdTrgvW_OXQDDQG8CMBmOZsCmKo6l&s=AHk9LQL8xQKwtYW6AlMhIpKhc64M4gHnBm1wvGiKqhU&e= https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__dhr.colorado.gov_statewide-2Dequity-2Doffice_supplier-2Ddiversity&d=DwMFaQ&c=sdnEM9SRGFuMt5z5w3AhsPNahmNicq64TgF1JwNR0cs&r=2K9kkYDPzg9W7wrnb9URPPzWuzXzmzc6oQUqmP_d9mA&m=UsSCoCc_Nnj_It7iTj2w9Xh-U0kW8zKwh7sIdTrgvW_OXQDDQG8CMBmOZsCmKo6l&s=AHk9LQL8xQKwtYW6AlMhIpKhc64M4gHnBm1wvGiKqhU&e= https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__dhr.colorado.gov_statewide-2Dequity-2Doffice_supplier-2Ddiversity&d=DwMFaQ&c=sdnEM9SRGFuMt5z5w3AhsPNahmNicq64TgF1JwNR0cs&r=2K9kkYDPzg9W7wrnb9URPPzWuzXzmzc6oQUqmP_d9mA&m=UsSCoCc_Nnj_It7iTj2w9Xh-U0kW8zKwh7sIdTrgvW_OXQDDQG8CMBmOZsCmKo6l&s=AHk9LQL8xQKwtYW6AlMhIpKhc64M4gHnBm1wvGiKqhU&e= https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__dhr.colorado.gov_statewide-2Dequity-2Doffice_supplier-2Ddiversity&d=DwMFaQ&c=sdnEM9SRGFuMt5z5w3AhsPNahmNicq64TgF1JwNR0cs&r=2K9kkYDPzg9W7wrnb9URPPzWuzXzmzc6oQUqmP_d9mA&m=UsSCoCc_Nnj_It7iTj2w9Xh-U0kW8zKwh7sIdTrgvW_OXQDDQG8CMBmOZsCmKo6l&s=AHk9LQL8xQKwtYW6AlMhIpKhc64M4gHnBm1wvGiKqhU&e= https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__dhr.colorado.gov_statewide-2Dequity-2Doffice_supplier-2Ddiversity&d=DwMFaQ&c=sdnEM9SRGFuMt5z5w3AhsPNahmNicq64TgF1JwNR0cs&r=2K9kkYDPzg9W7wrnb9URPPzWuzXzmzc6oQUqmP_d9mA&m=UsSCoCc_Nnj_It7iTj2w9Xh-U0kW8zKwh7sIdTrgvW_OXQDDQG8CMBmOZsCmKo6l&s=AHk9LQL8xQKwtYW6AlMhIpKhc64M4gHnBm1wvGiKqhU&e= https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__dhr.colorado.gov_statewide-2Dequity-2Doffice_supplier-2Ddiversity&d=DwMFaQ&c=sdnEM9SRGFuMt5z5w3AhsPNahmNicq64TgF1JwNR0cs&r=2K9kkYDPzg9W7wrnb9URPPzWuzXzmzc6oQUqmP_d9mA&m=UsSCoCc_Nnj_It7iTj2w9Xh-U0kW8zKwh7sIdTrgvW_OXQDDQG8CMBmOZsCmKo6l&s=AHk9LQL8xQKwtYW6AlMhIpKhc64M4gHnBm1wvGiKqhU&e= https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__dhr.colorado.gov_statewide-2Dequity-2Doffice_supplier-2Ddiversity&d=DwMFaQ&c=sdnEM9SRGFuMt5z5w3AhsPNahmNicq64TgF1JwNR0cs&r=2K9kkYDPzg9W7wrnb9URPPzWuzXzmzc6oQUqmP_d9mA&m=UsSCoCc_Nnj_It7iTj2w9Xh-U0kW8zKwh7sIdTrgvW_OXQDDQG8CMBmOZsCmKo6l&s=AHk9LQL8xQKwtYW6AlMhIpKhc64M4gHnBm1wvGiKqhU&e= https://www.bidnetdirect.com/ https://prd.co.cgiadvantage.com/PRDVSS1X1/Advantage4

Page 7 of 17 RFP12-2025A delivery of a comprehensive, community-informed, data-driven, high-quality, and equitable early childhood system that supports the care, education, and well-being of all Colorado’s young children, their families, and early childhood professionals in all settings. All children, families, and early childhood professionals in Colorado are valued, healthy, and thriving.

CDEC includes Child Care Licensing and Administration, Early Childhood Quality Initiatives, the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program, Universal Preschool, the Workforce Unit, and works closely with the Head Start State Collaboration Office.

DELLA ensures the health and safety of children in less-than-24-hour licensed early care and education environments by promulgating regulations for child care that ensure minimum standards for the health and safety of facilities. The division accomplishes this through the annual inspection and monitoring of child care facilities, consultation and coaching for early care and learning professionals, and collaborating with early care and learning providers, child care associations, early childhood councils, local community organizations (LCOs), local governments, county and state agencies, including health and fire departments, advocates, and other important stakeholders.

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. Regular inspections are a means of ensuring that children are cared for in settings that meet minimum health, safety, and fire standards. Programs that are inspected more frequently are more likely to adhere to critical health and safety requirements, and child care inspections are associated with lower rates of accidents requiring medical attention. Frequent unannounced inspections help ensure compliance with regulations, especially when there is a history of violations and/or complaints. On-site technical assistance and resources provided during inspections help providers improve the level of care they offer. Further, there is increased accountability for how federal and state funds are spent.

The federal Child Care and Development Block Grant Act (CCDBG) mandates requirements for the operations of child care licensing, including annual licensing inspections, more stringent health, safety, and training requirements for child care providers, consumer education requirements, and greater alignment among licensing, child care assistance programs, and child care quality improvement efforts.

The Child Care Development Block Grant Act requires that licensing inspectors perform inspections, including at least one pre-licensure inspection and at least one unannounced inspection annually, to ensure compliance with all child care licensing standards for all Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) Providers. In 2014, the state legislature provided DELLA with 17 contract licensing specialists to assist in compliance with the new federal regulations. An additional 10 contract licensing specialists were added in 2016 by the General Assembly. In 2020, the state legislature approved additional funding for four licensing specialists to provide greater opportunities and resources for investing time and expertise in low-performing licensed child care providers. This initiative aims to offer all providers more consultation and technical assistance focused on quality, rather than just basic health and safety compliance. In 2022, the state legislature provided DELLA with 2 additional Bilingual Licensing Specialists and a Bilingual Supervisor.

To better meet the goal of ensuring all Colorado children, families, and early childhood professionals are

Page 8 of 17 RFP12-2025A valued, healthy, and thriving, the Department implemented the Colorado Shines Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). This system is embedded in child care licensing, so that those licensed child care programs serving children prior to kindergarten entry have a rating tied to their license. Licensing specialists serve as ambassadors for the Colorado Shines QRIS. Licensing specialists are responsible for the assessment of QRIS Level 1 and Level 2 licensed child care providers. In this role, the specialist also provides guidance and technical assistance to help licensed child care providers maintain or improve their quality rating.

The National Health and Safety Performance Standards Guidelines for Early Care and Education Programs have a standard of two licensing visits per year, including one unannounced visit, and recommend “sufficient numbers of licensing inspectors should be hired to provide adequate time visiting and inspecting facilities to ensure compliance with regulations.” Furthermore, The National Association of Child Care Resources and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) has evidenced that “weak” oversight undermines strong standards.” Frequent inspections reduce serious violations. Protecting the health, safety, and welfare of children in licensed child care facilities is the underlying charge of the Department and ensuring supervisory licensing inspections are conducted in a timely and responsive manner is a key program performance indicator tracked by CDEC. This request provides resources to better meet the goal of safer facilities, since instances of death, injury, and child abuse and neglect can be reduced with an increase in the frequency of licensing inspections.

5.0 Proposal Content

Proposal Substance. Responses to the following components should be included in the proposal. Each component will be evaluated for completeness. Please address the following:

1. Demonstrated Experience and Capabilities

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

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

c. Provide a list of the proposed staff, including specialists and consultants that will be assigned to this project and possess relevant qualifications and experience. In addition, please provide the following information:

i. Current resumes for all proposed staff.

ii. 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.

iii. 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.

A. 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

Page 9 of 17 RFP12-2025A knowledge acquired in the required education may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for the Bachelor’s Degree requirement.

iv. Mandatory. Conditions of Employment. 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. All accommodations shall be paid for by the

Vendor, and mileage shall be reimbursed from the employee’s home office. Vendors must possess and maintain a file for each employee containing a valid Colorado Driver's

License. Please provide a statement confirming that the organization understands and will comply with this requirement throughout the project lifecycle.

d. Describe your organization's experience administering contractor licensing programs and/or regulatory compliance contracts for the State of Colorado, including specific examples of projects managed, scope of responsibilities, and outcomes achieved.

e. Provide at least one detailed case study or reference from a client engagement completed within the past five years that demonstrates successful delivery of similar services.

f. Provide a detailed narrative demonstrating how your organization fulfilled each duty and responsibility outlined in the attached Statement of Work.

g. Provide a detailed description of how the vendor will structure and supervise staff in the performance of their duties.

h. Include a detailed description of how the vendor will deploy staff to meet coverage requirements, including absences and vacancies.

i. Include an implementation plan to include a timeline for implementation by July 1, 2026.

2. Mandatory. Exhibit A Statement of Work (SOW) Template. Please thoroughly review the work plan within the Statement of Work and provide a written attestation confirming your organization's ability to adhere to all outlined project deliverables.

3. Mandatory. Exhibit A Statement of Work Template – Payment Schedule. Please note that the payment schedule is included within the Statement of Work Template. Please ensure that the payment schedule is fully complete.

a. Specialist rates will be evaluated for competitiveness and sustainability. CDEC will scrutinize rates that appear artificially low, as they often correlate with staff turnover and service degradation.

Guidelines. Please refer to the items listed below as guidance to complete your budget.

a. Include the monthly cost listed on the Statement of Work; this should, at a minimum, include:

i. Staff salaries, operational costs, including reasonable overhead and administration.

b. Ensure that expenses align with the Statement of Work (Exhibit A).

c. Vendors may expect a fixed price contract.

6.0 How Proposals are Evaluated

i. In General. Vendors are encouraged to review the solicitation and related attachments in their entirety to assure understanding of and compliance with requirements that may

Page 10 of 17 RFP12-2025A be included in these documents. To facilitate evaluation of proposals, a proposal should be thorough yet brief. A proposal should address the requirements set forth in the RFP and should provide sufficient details to allow the evaluation committee(s) to determine whether the proposal evidences:

● Understanding of the State’s needs, requirements and contracting terms and conditions;

and;

● Ability to meet the State’s needs, including the experience and resources necessary to carry out the work towards meeting the State’s needs; and

● Costs that are reasonable and consistent with the industry.

The Department will identify the proposal(s) most advantageous to the State through an objective and competitive process. A committee will review all acceptable proposals in accordance with §24-103-203(7), C.R.S, and may request more information or clarifications from any vendor. The committee will then recommend one or more proposals for the award. The Single Point of Contact will notify all vendors of the final decision.

ii. Mandatory Criteria. The Department may identify mandatory criteria. However, the

Department reserves the right to waive mandatory requirements pursuant to Rule 24-103-

301-03.

iii. Evaluation Committee. The purpose of the Evaluation Committee is to review the submitted proposals, engage in candid and thorough discussions, and recommend a Vendor for the award.

The Evaluation Committee will utilize measures to ensure the integrity of the evaluation process. These measures include the following:

● Selecting committee members who possess no conflicts of interest related to this solicitation.

● Facilitating independent reviews of proposals.

● Requiring the evaluations of the proposals to be based strictly on the content of the proposals.

● Ensuring the fair and impartial treatment of all Vendors.

iv. Evaluation of Factors. An evaluation committee will evaluate proposals against all evaluation factors set forth in the RFP. The evaluation, including the results of any discussions, will result in determination by the committee of the competitive range of vendors reasonably susceptible to receiving an award. Factors that would allow for success in meeting the responsibilities outlined in this RFP:

● Completeness and accuracy of the proposal in addressing stated needs and requirements as outlined in Section 5.0 - Proposal Content, above.

● Cost-Effectiveness: Reasonableness of the proposed budget in relation to the scope of work. The State will consider price in determining the competitive range and the apparent successful vendor.

● The State reserves the right to determine a vendor's responsibility based on factors such as financial, material, personnel resources and expertise; satisfactory record of performance; satisfactory record of integrity; and status of debarment. Reference §24- 101-301(43) C.R.S.

● Note: It is the vendor’s responsibility to assure all required materials are included with

Page 11 of 17 RFP12-2025A the proposal. Failure of a vendor to provide required information and/or failure to follow the response format for this RFP may result in reduced scoring and/or exclusion from the competitive range of vendor proposals reasonably susceptible of receiving an award.

v. Weighted Scale Evaluation Process. In evaluating proposals submitted in response to this RFP, CDEC may employ a weighted scale evaluation process to ensure a fair and objective assessment of each submission. This process involves assigning weights to specific evaluation criteria based on their importance to the overall project goals and objectives. Each proposal will be evaluated against the criteria outlined in Section 5.0 - Proposal Content above. Reviewers will assign a score to each criterion; the scores will then be multiplied by the corresponding weights to calculate a weighted score for each criterion. The total weighted score for each proposal will be determined by summing the weighted scores across all criteria.

vi. References. The Department may contact references, whether provided or not, and consider them as part of the evaluation. Past Performance and feedback from references and the success of previous projects may be evaluated.

vii. Demonstrations and Discussions. The Evaluation Committee’s initial evaluation will be based on the written proposals. Vendors should confirm that their proposal adequately conveys the soundness of their approach and their understanding of the solicitation requirements. The Evaluation Committee may, if it deems necessary, request clarifications, conduct discussions or oral presentations, or request best and final offers. Per R-24-103-203-03, discussions may be held with responsible vendors whose proposals are determined to be reasonably susceptible to be selected for award to:

• Promote understanding of the state’s requirements and the vendors’ proposals; and;

• Facilitate a contract that will be most advantageous to the state taking into consideration price and the other evaluation factors set forth in the request for proposals.

• The Evaluation Committee may adjust its scoring based on the results of such activities. However, proposals may be reviewed and determinations made without such activities. Vendors should be aware that the opportunity for further explanation might not exist; therefore, Vendors should ensure that their submission is complete, and are encouraged to submit their best possible proposal, including pricing.

• CDEC may request that clarifications resulting from discussions be submitted in writing by the vendor(s) to the State. Vendors will be given a reasonable timeframe in which to submit written clarifications and to provide any related revisions to their initial proposal. Such revisions will be limited to the guidelines included within the State’s requested clarifications. As discussions are at the State’s discretion, vendors should not rely on the opportunity for discussions to clarify their proposal.

viii. Best and Final Offer. The State reserves the right to give vendor(s) in the competitive range an opportunity to submit a best and final offer (BAFO) at any point during the negotiations process.

ix. Exceptions to State of Colorado Terms and Conditions. The standard terms and conditions in the Model CDEC Personal Services Contract shall govern this procurement and are hereby incorporated by reference. Vendors must submit any requested changes to the state’s contract template in redline format with their proposal. Please note that the section of the Contract identified as the Colorado Special Provisions are considered non-negotiable.

Page 12 of 17 RFP12-2025A

● The state does not agree to accept any requested changes to the state’s contract template and will only consider changes proposed by potential vendors. While the state will work with a potential vendor on requested changes, none are guaranteed.

Additionally, Vendors are cautioned that modifications to any of the provisions in the CDEC Personal Services Contract Template as well as other standard state exhibits, are considered to constitute an increased risk as well as increased costs to the State.

Therefore, Vendor’s noted exceptions may be considered in any evaluation. The state will not accept or consider any requests to modify the Colorado Special Provisions, and the state reserves the right to deem proposals as unresponsive if this request is made.

● Any changes requested to the Model CDEC Personal Services Contract or Exhibits accompanying this solicitation will constitute an increased timeline to contract execution as approvals may need to be obtained by multiple State Agencies (e.g., Department of Personnel and Administration, Attorney General, Colorado Department of Early Childhood, etc.). Therefore, any requested changes will take several weeks to review.

● If no exceptions are noted, Vendor indicates their intent to accept the State of Colorado Terms and Conditions as-is.

7.0 Professional Ethics and Fair Business Practices

i. Any person involved in the purchasing process for the State, any end users of such goods and services, any vendor that does business with the state, and any other interested third parties to the procurement process shall enhance the proficiency and stature of the purchasing process by adhering to the highest standards of ethical behavior.

ii. The State of Colorado believes that all employees and community partners, whatever their gender, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, education, disability, socio-economic status, or any other identity, feel valued and respected. We are committed to nondiscriminatory practices and providing equitable opportunities for employment and advancement in all our departments, programs, services, and worksites. We respect and value diverse life experiences and work to ensure that all voices are heard so that a person’s future success is not determined by their identity.

iii. Vendors acknowledge that even the appearance of a conflict of interest may be harmful to the State’s interests. Vendors shall disclose in their Proposals whether there currently is, or potentially could be, the appearance of a conflict of interest regarding this solicitation, its staff, any proposed subcontractors or partners, or any related business with the State.

Reference §24-18-201, CRS, et seq. (Proscribed Acts Related to Contracts and Claims); §24-

50-507, CRS (Conflict of Interest); §18-8-301, CRS, et seq. (Bribery and Corrupt Influence);

§18-8-401, CRS, et seq. (Abuse of Public Office); §6-4-101, CRS, et seq., (Colorado Antitrust

Act of 1992); §24-109-105, CRS (Debarment and Suspension); and Procurement Rule R-24-

101-107-01 (Ethics).

iv. Vendors must disclose in their proposal any potential or actual conflict of interest in connection with a response to this solicitation. A conflict of interest may include, but is not limited to, access to any non-public information by the Vendor regarding the solicitation or its subject matter. Proposal submission and signature constitute the vendor's

Page 13 of 17 RFP12-2025A acknowledgment and binding acceptance of all solicitation requirements, terms, and conditions.

8.0 Administrative Information

i. Acceptance of Solicitation Terms. A proposal submitted in response to this solicitation shall constitute a binding offer and acknowledgment that all terms and conditions of this solicitation are accepted. Vendors must identify any variations between its proposal and the solicitation. Failure to do so shall be deemed a waiver of any rights to subsequently modify the terms of performance.

ii. Accessibility Requirements. All work performed as a result of this solicitation must comply with all applicable provisions of §24-85-101, of the Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.), et seq., and the Accessibility Standards for Individuals with a Disability, as established by the Office Of

Information Technology (OIT) pursuant to §24-85-103 (2.5), C.R.S. and all State of Colorado technology standards related to technology accessibility and with Level AA of the most current version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), incorporated in the

State of Colorado technology standards.

● https://oit.colorado.gov/standards-policies-guides/technical-standards-policies

iii. Award. The Department will notify all Vendors who submitted a proposal when it issues a Notice of Intent to Award via BidNet and VSS sites. The State reserves the right to award to multiple offerors if applicable, and if it is determined to be in the best interest of the State. The awarded

Vendor(s) must act in good faith to execute an agreement on or before the Anticipated Contract

Start Date. If this date is not met, through no fault of the State, the State, at its sole discretion, may cancel the Notice of Intent to Award.

● The State may negotiate with any Vendor to clarify the Vendor’s Proposal or to effect modifications that will make the Proposal acceptable or more advantageous to the State in alignment with the requirements as identified in this solicitation;

however, any requirements identified in this solicitation may not be negotiated.

● All awarded vendors are hereby notified that they must return the attached Vendor

Customer Information Sheet (incorporated into this RFP as an exhibit) to the Single

Point of Contact listed in the Schedule of Activities section no more than three business days after notification of award. Failure to provide this required documentation may result in cancellation of award. Alternatively, proposers may submit this exhibit as a component of their proposal.

iv. Background Checks. Pursuant to C.R.S. §27-90-111 and Department policy, any vendor, and its agent(s), who has direct contact with vulnerable persons in a state-operated facility, or who provides state-funded services that involve direct contact with vulnerable persons in the vulnerable person’s home or residence, 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.

v. Cancellation. A solicitation may be canceled only when there are cogent and compelling https://oit.colorado.gov/standards-policies-guides/technical-standards-policies

Page 14 of 17 RFP12-2025A reasons to believe that the cancellation of the solicitation is in the state's best interest. An award of a contract under a solicitation may be canceled, in whole or in part, when the procurement official determines in writing that such action is in the state's best interest.

The reason and documentation supporting the decision to cancel the solicitation or reject

Proposal(s) shall remain confidential for the lesser of six months or until a Contract or purchase order is awarded by the State.

vi. Communication. All communication regarding this solicitation must be done through the

Single Point of Contact identified above. Unauthorized contact with any Department personnel other than the Single Point of Contact regarding this solicitation is prohibited and may result in disqualification.

vii. Confidentiality. Anything submitted by a vendor is likely to become public information.

Vendors may submit, as a part of its solicitation response, a written request for classification of certain portions of the response as confidential information. This information will help ensure that all submitted materials are handled appropriately and in accordance with state confidentiality standards. The Procurement Official or his or her designee shall determine if the information identified in the Vendor's request is exempt from disclosure in accordance with §24-72-204, C.R.S., and shall inform the Vendor in writing of the final determination.

● When submitting a confidentiality request, materials for which confidentiality has been requested shall be readily identifiable and separable from other portions of the solicitation to facilitate public inspection of the non-confidential portion of the solicitation response. Please include a complete redacted proposal response along with an unredacted version of the proposal with associated confidentiality justifications. Commingling of confidential and non-confidential information is not acceptable.

● Please provide a crosswalk of information related to the material you wish to be confidential and the reasons why the information should be considered as confidential. Vendors must include the rationale for any request to classify portions as a trade secret or confidential or proprietary, including references to the authority that allows for such treatment.

● In no event shall price information or an entire solicitation response, nor any information that will be included in a resulting Contract, be classified as confidential.

viii. Contract. Vendors must agree to the State’s agreement terms as outlined in the CDEC

Personal Services Contract Template. Please note that any referenced or attached model

Agreement lists the State’s standard required legal provisions but may not include the specific scope of work and other specific terms or requirements for this solicitation. Vendors must review any attached Agreement terms and note any exceptions. Modifications to the

State’s Agreement terms constitute increased risk and costs to the State. Therefore, Vendor’s noted exceptions may be considered in any evaluation. If no exceptions are noted, the Vendor indicates an intent to accept the terms as-is.

Page 15 of 17 RFP12-2025A

ix. CORE Registration. Unless otherwise noted, before the Department can execute a contract for any vendor, that vendor must be registered in CORE, which can be completed through Vendor

Self Service at www.colorado.gov/vss.

x. Debarment and Suspension. The vendor shall disclose in its proposal, to the best of its knowledge and belief whether it, its principals and any proposed subcontractors:

● Are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for disbarment, or declared ineligible.

● Any convictions or civil judgments rendered against them for commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public transaction; violation of Federal or State antitrust statutes or commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements or receiving stolen property.

● Are presently under investigation for, indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal, State or local) with commission of any of the offenses enumerated in the previous bulleted item; and

● Within a three-year period preceding this proposal, had one or more public transactions (Federal, State, or local) terminated for cause or default.

Failure of a vendor to disclose any information in this section may result in the State’s determination that the vendor is not reasonably susceptible to the award.

xi. Electronic Funds Transfers (EFT). Awarded Vendors are encouraged to sign up for EFT.

xii. Incurred Costs. The Department is not liable for any cost incurred by vendors prior to any formal contract, purchase order, or other agreement. No property interest of any nature shall occur until a contract is signed by all parties concerned.

xiii. Insurance Requirements. The awarded Vendor will be required to submit a certificate(s) of insurance evidencing insurance coverage for the types and amounts of insurance as required by the Insurance provision in the Contract or Purchase Order Terms and Conditions, included in this solicitation as an exhibit, prior to execution of a Contract or Purchase Order.

xiv. Modifications of Proposals. Proposals may be modified or withdrawn by the vendor prior to the established due date and time. Vendors may be asked by the Department to modify or clarify their proposals after the due date.

xv. News Releases. Vendors may not issue any news releases pertaining to this solicitation without the Department’s prior written approval.

xvi. Notice to Nonresident Bidders. If a nonresident vendor is from a state that provides a bidding preference to vendors from that state, then a comparable percentage disadvantage will be applied to the bid of that nonresident vendor pursuant to C.R.S. §24-103-908. The vendor may obtain additional information from the department of personnel's website.

xvii. Notices. The Department will post any changes to this solicitation via the BidNet Direct website at: https://www.bidnetdirect.com/register and the Colorado VSS website at:

www.colorado.gov/vss. All communications will be posted on both the BidNet Direct site and the VSS site and/or through a direct email from the Single Point of Contact.

● Any modifications, amendments or supplemental information to the solicitation will be published on BidNet and VSS sites. A modification may be published in the event that it becomes necessary to revise any part of this solicitation.

● It is the Vendor’s sole responsibility to check BidNet or VSS on a regular basis, prior to the proposal submission deadline, as this is the primary means for communicating any clarifications or changes to solicitation content, timeline and/or requirements.

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

Page 16 of 17 RFP12-2025A

xviii. Proposal Prices. Estimated proposal prices are not acceptable. Best and final offers may be considered in determining the apparent successful vendor. Proposals shall be firm for a period of not less than 180 calendar days from the date of award.

xix. Proposal Rejection. The Department may reject a proposal, waive informalities, and minor irregularities, or accept any portion.

xx. Protests. Any actual or prospective vendor who are aggrieved in connection with the solicitation or award of a contract may protest to the Single Point of Contact listed in the

Schedule of Activities section and Shayne Cumine (email to shayne.cumine@state.co.us) , CDEC Contracts and Procurement Director. The protest shall be submitted in writing within ten business days after such an aggrieved person knows, or should have known, of the facts giving rise thereto.

xxi. Public Opening. On the date and time shown above, the Department will hold a public opening pursuant to Rule 24-103-201-13.

xxii. Quantity. The Department may request future increases or decreases to the quantity of the goods or services, or request that goods or services be delivered to other areas within the

Department.

xxiii. RFP Proposal Material Ownership. All material submitted in the proposal to this RFP becomes the property of the State.

xxiv. Secretary of State (SOS) Registration. Before Contract execution, the awarded vendor must be registered to do business in the State of Colorado. If a vendor is a foreign corporation (formed under a statute or common law in a jurisdiction other than Colorado) or other foreign entity transacting business in the State of Colorado, it shall warrant that it currently has obtained and shall maintain any applicable certificate of authority to transact business in the State of Colorado and has designated a registered agent in Colorado to accept service of process.

xxv. Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB). Reference §24-103-905, C.R.S., et. seq. SDVOSB Vendors must submit documentation of certification issued through the U.S. Department of veteran’s affairs in their Proposal. §24-103-905 C.R.S. sets a SDVOSB goal of at least 3% of all contracts by dollar value be awarded to SDVOSBs who must be incorporated or organized in Colorado, or they must maintain a place of business or have an office in Colorado and must be officially registered and verified as a SDVOSB by the Center for Verification and Evaluation within the United States department of veteran’s affairs.

Note that SDVOSB’s will be provided with an additional 3% towards their overall final score.

xxvi. Services Outside of Colorado or the United States. Vendors must disclose services performed outside of Colorado or the United States as required by C.R.S. §24-102-206.

xxvii. Single Proposal. If only one bid or proposal is received in response to a solicitation, an award may be made to the single bidder or offeror if the procurement official finds that the price submitted is fair and reasonable and that other prospective bidders or offerors had reasonable opportunity to respond. Reference Procurement Rule R- 24-103-201-02(d).

xxviii. System for Award Management (SAM). Before Contract execution, the awarded vendor(s) must be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM.gov).

xxix. Taxes. The Department is exempt from all federal excise taxes under Chapter 32 of the Internal

Revenue Code (Registration No. 84-730123K) and from all state and local government use taxes about:blank

Page 17 of 17 RFP12-2025A

C.R.S. §39-26-114(a). The Colorado State and Local Sales Tax Exemption Number is 98-02565.

When materials are purchased in certain political subdivisions (for example - City of Denver), the vendor may be required to pay sales tax even though the ultimate product or service is provided to the State of Colorado. This sales tax will not be reimbursed by the State.

xxx. Vendor Capability and Financial Information. Vendor(s), if requested, must be prepared to present evidence of experience, ability, staffing, service facilities, and financial standing necessary to meet the requirements set forth or implied in its RFP proposal and/or as proposed in clarifications/negotiations. The State reserves the right to request that vendor(s) provide a copy of its most recent certified and audited financial statements as a method of determining vendor financial responsibility. The State reserves the right to review such information and financial documentation for all vendors, for vendors in the competitive range, or only for an awarded vendor.

xxxi. Vendor Disclosure Requirements. Disclose whether the vendor, any general partner or joint venture of the vendor, or any proposed subcontractor has failed to complete a similar project within the past five (5) years. If so, list the date of commencement of the project and the entity for which the project was to be performed, and explain why the project was not completed.

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