RFQQ Stakeholder Engagement 12-31.docx

COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS AND QUOTATIONS

RFQQ NO. 26-DCYF-CW-097

Project Title: Stakeholder Engagement

Estimated Contract Performance Period: March 20, 2026 or upon execution through March 31, 2027. Amendments extending the period of performance, if any, shall be at the sole discretion of Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF).

Response Due Date: All responses must be received in their entirety by Pacific Time set forth in Section C.1 of this Solicitation Document unless an Amendment is issued modifying the Solicitation Schedule.

Submit Response To: Responses must be submitted to:

Rachel Denney, Solicitation Coordinator Email: Rachel.denney@dcyf.wa.gov

Solicitation and Amendments Will Be Posted on WEBS: WEBS Website: https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/

Applicable WEBS

Additional Resource: Washington APEX Accelerator (formerly Washington PTAC) website: www.washingtonapex.org

* Contract start date is subject to change

Table of ContentS

A. OVERVIEW, BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS, AND CONTRACT TERM

1. Purpose and Background This Competitive Solicitation is issued to assist the Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) in seeking qualified Contractor(s) to provide stakeholder engagement services to include written feedback and virtual listening sessions.

DCYF, in accordance with Washington law, encourages small and diverse businesses to compete for and participate in DCYF procurements as contractors and as subcontractors to awarded Bidders. See, e.g., RCW 39.19 (OMWBE certified businesses); RCW 43.60A.200 (DVA certified veteran-owned businesses); and RCW 39.26.005 (Washington Small Businesses).

In support of the state’s economic goals and to support a diverse supplier pool, DCYF has established the following voluntary numerical goals for DCYF Competitive Solicitations:

· Ten percent (10%) Office of Minority and Woman-Owned Businesses;

· One percent (1%) Veteran-Owned Businesses; and

· Twenty percent (20%) Washington Small Businesses.

Achievement of these goals is encouraged whether directly or through subcontractors.

2. Objective and Scope The objective and scope is to solicit, collect, synthesize and communicate stakeholder input regarding implementation progress, areas of improvement, and adherence to trauma informed, LGBTQIA+ affirming and culturally responsive practices of the Kinship Engagement, Family Group Planning and Referrals and Transitions systemic improvements under the D.S. Lawsuit and Settlement Agreement.

The work consists of 3 phases. Phase 1 includes fully developing the project plan and obtaining the necessary approvals from DCYF Office of Innovation, Alignment and Accountability (OIAA) Research Review Committee (RRC) and the Washington State Institutional Review Board (WSIRB). Phase 2 consists of recruitment of participants and implementing a 60 day process for gathering stakeholder input and feedback. Phase 3 includes the analysis of data, completion of a written report and presentation of findings.

3. Minimum Qualifications All Bidders must meet the following minimum qualifications:

Bidders submitting a proposal must complete and submit Bidder Response forms C.1 and C.2 for evaluation purposes. Bidder must respond to each requirement as noted in the instructions below.

· Mandatory Pass/Fail (M): Minimum requirement; Bidder that does not meet this requirement will not be considered any further.

· Mandatory Scored (MS): Critical requirement; Bidders will score based on the degree to which Bidder's response meets the requirements.

· Desirable Scored (DS): Desirable requirement; evaluators will score based on the degree to which Bidder's response meets the requirement.

a. Mandatory Pass/Fail (M):

(1) Must be licensed to do business in the State of Washington or provide a commitment that it will become licenses in Washington within thirty (30) days of being selected as the Apparent Successful Bidder (ASB).

(2) Must be an individual sole proprietor or a 501c non-profit organization. Provide copy of business license and 501c letter (if non-profit).

(3) Bidder must certify that they have not been debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in transactions by any federal department or agency. Bidders failing to demonstrate in their Bids that they meet these minimum qualifications will be considered non-responsive and will therefore be disqualified from further consideration.

Mandatory Scored (MS):

(1) Must have demonstrated expertise in working with youth in foster care within the past 5 years.

(4) Must have expertise in the improvement of foster care systems;

(5) Must have access to a research and development hub capable of capturing data, input, and experiences from youth who have had experiences in foster care and other stakeholders;

(6) Must have professional experience in using trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and youth-friendly methods for gathering input and feedback from youth and stakeholders;

(7) Must have the capacity to offer reasonable accommodations and modifications as well as language access to ensure participation of individuals with limited English proficiency and physical, intellectual, developmental, and psychiatric disabilities;and

(8) Must have the ability to synthesize and communicate information through multiple formats that are accessible to youth and families from diverse backgrounds.

Bidders failing to demonstrate in their Bids that they meet these minimum qualifications will be considered non-responsive and will therefore be disqualified from further consideration.

4. Period of Contract Performance

a. DCYF intends to award up to one (1) Contract(s) to provide the services described in this RFQQ.

b. The initial term of the Contract(s) will commence upon the start date March 20, 2026, or execution date, whichever is later. Upon funding availability, the term of the Contract may be extended by Amendment up to two (2) times for up to one (1) year per Amendment and will not exceed the date of June 30, 2027.

c. Additional services that are appropriate to the scope of this RFQQ, as determined by DCYF, may be added to the resulting Contract(s) by a written Amendment mutually agreed to and executed by both parties.

5. Funding

a. DCYF initial total amount for the Contract(s) shall not exceed $200,000.00. Bids more than $200,000.00 will be rejected as non-responsive and will not be evaluated. In the event additional funding becomes available, Contract awarded may be renegotiated to provide for additional related services.

b. Any Contract(s) awarded because of this Solicitation is contingent upon the availability of funding.

6. Auxiliary Aids and Services for American with Disabilities Act (ADA) DCYF will provide access to this Solicitation Document to individuals with disabilities. Please contact the Solicitation Coordinator to request auxiliary aids and services.

If an individual believes that the Department has discriminated based on a disability, please contact the DCYF Solicitation Coordinator.

B. DEFINITIONS

Additional definitions for Contract-specific terms are found in the Sample Contract set forth as Attachment A to this Solicitation and shall apply to those terms as they are used in this Solicitation. The following terms have the meanings set forth below:

5. Bid - An offer, proposal or quote for goods or services and all related materials prepared and submitted by a Bidder in response to this Solicitation. The terms Bid, quotation, response, and proposal are all intended to mean the same thing.

6. Bidder– An individual or entity who submits a Bid, quotation, or proposal in response to a Solicitation issued for such goods or services by DCYF per RCW 39.26.010(3).

7. Complaint – Is a process that may be followed by a Bidder prior to the deadline for Bid submission to alert DCYF of certain types of asserted deficiencies in the Solicitation per RCW 39.26.170.

8. Complex Contract - Written agreements between two or more parties that are legally binding with the added complexity of competing priorities such as financial targets, support capabilities, and delivery schedules.

9. Consensus Scoring –The selected evaluation teams review and evaluates bid responses as a team and agrees on the score to be given to each bidder.

10. Contract – A written agreement entered between an Apparent Successful Bidder and DCYF as a result of this Solicitation.

13. Debriefing – a short meeting an Unsuccessful Bidder may request with the Solicitation Coordinator following the announcement of the ASB for the purpose of receiving information regarding the review and evaluation of that Bidder’s Response.

14. D.S. Lawsuit and Settlement Agreement – A class action lawsuit and settlement agreement on behalf of dependent children and youth with behavioral health and developmental disabilities in out-of-home care in Washington state. D.S. Lawsuit and Settlement Agreement | Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families

15. Evaluator – Is a person designated by DCYF to evaluate proposals received in response to a Competitive Solicitation Document.

16. Non-Responsive Bidder - A Bidder who has submitted a bid, which does not conform to all requirements of the solicitation documents.

17. Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) Certified Business – Means business or the status of a business that has been examined by the Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) and deemed to be a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE), a Minority Women’s Business Enterprise (MWBE), a Combination Business Enterprise (CBE), or a Socially and Economically Disadvantage Business Enterprise (SEDBE) per chapter 39.19 RCW.

OMWBE Certification. The Bidder must have provided certification documentation to the OMWBE and be certified by OMWBE and listed as such on OMWBE’s website (OMWBE’s Directory of Certified Businesses).

24. Statement of Work – The detailed description services to be performed by the Contractor and set forth in the Contract.

25. Subcontractor – An individual or other entity contracted by Bidder to perform part of the services or to provide goods under the Contract resulting from this Solicitation. Subcontractors, if allowed, are subject to the advance approval of DCYF.

26. Unsuccessful Bidder (USB) - A supplier of goods or services that submits a quotation or request for proposal but is not selected once the evaluation decision has been made.

27. Veteran-Owned Business – means businesses certified by the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) as a Certified Veteran-Owned Business. See RCW 43.60A.010(7) & RCW 43.60A.190. Such firms must meet three requirements:

a. 51% Ownership. The firm must be at least fifty-one percent (51%) owned and controlled by:

(1) A veteran as defined as every person who at the time he or she seeks certification has received a discharge with an honorable characterization or received a discharge for medical reasons with an honorable record, where applicable, and who has served in at least one of the capacities listed in RCW 41.04.007;

(2) A person who is in receipt of disability compensation or pension from the department of veterans’ affairs; or

(3) An active or reserve member in any branch of the armed forces of the United States, including the national guard, coast guard, and armed forces reserves.

b. Washington Incorporation/Location. The firm must be either an entity that is incorporated in the State of Washington as a Washington domestic corporation or, if not incorporated, an entity whose principal place of business is located within the State of Washington.

DVA Certification. The firm must have provided certification documentation to the DVA and be certified by DVA and listed as such on DVA’s website (WDVA – Veteran-Owned Businesses).

30. Washington Small Business - An in-state business, including a sole proprietorship, corporation, partnership, or other legal entity, that: (a) certifies, under penalty of perjury, that it is owned and operated independently from all other businesses and has either: (i) fifty (50) or fewer employees; or (ii) a gross revenue of less than seven (7) million dollars annually as reported on its federal income tax return or its return filed with the Department of Revenue over the previous three (3) consecutive years.

Small Business Self-Certification. The Bidder must provide a signed Attachment B.1 Small Business Self-Certification as part of their proposal.

C. EXPLANATION OF SOLICITATION PROCESS

1. Solicitation Schedule The Solicitation Schedule set forth below outlines the tentative schedule for important events relating to this Solicitation. Except as modified in an Amendment issued by the Solicitation Coordinator, the dates and times listed through the date of response submission are mandatory deadlines. The remaining dates are estimates and may change without the posting of an Amendment. It is the Bidder’s sole responsibility to periodically check WEBS at https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/ for RFQQ amendments. Failure to meet the response deadline will result in Bidder disqualification.

Negotiate Contract

3/5/2026-3/19/2026

2. Solicitation Coordinator

a. The Solicitation Coordinator is the sole point of contact for DCYF for this Solicitation. All communications concerning this Solicitation must be directed to the Solicitation Coordinator listed on the cover page and below of this subsection of this Solicitation Document.

Rachel Denney, Solicitation Coordinator Email: rachel.denney@dcyf.wa.gov

3. Posting of Solicitation Documents

a. DCYF shall post this Solicitation, and all Amendments and announcements relating to this Solicitation, on WEBS. WEBS can be accessed at https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/.

b. All Bidders must register as a vendor on WEBS, using an appropriate commodities code listed on the front page of this Solicitation, and must download this Solicitation from WEBS. This should be done as soon as possible for the Bidder to receive notifications automatically generated on WEBS, but no later than the date set forth on Section C.1., Solicitation Schedule for Announcement of the Apparent Successful Bidder(s).

4. Amendment, Cancellation and Reissuance of Solicitation

d. For this purpose, the published questions and answers from the pre-bid conference and any other pertinent information shall be provided as an Amendment to the RFQQ.

5. Questions and Answers

a. Bidders may send written questions concerning this Solicitation to the Solicitation Coordinator by the date and time set forth on the Solicitation Schedule in Section C.1. for submission of Questions. Questions should be sent via email and should include the number and title of this Solicitation in the subject line.

b. DCYF will document all questions received in writing by posting an Amendment to the Solicitation on WEBS. Only Bidders who have properly registered and downloaded the original Solicitation directly via the WEBS system at https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/ will receive notification of Amendments and other correspondence pertaining to this Solicitation.

6. Complaints

7. Small and Diverse Businesses DCYF in accordance with Washington law, encourages small and diverse businesses to compete for and participate in state procurements as contractors and as subcontractors to awarded bidders. See, e.g., RCW 39.19 (OMWBE certified businesses); RCW 43.60A.200 (WDVA certified veteran-owned businesses); and RCW 39.26.005 (Washington small businesses). In support of the state’s economic goals and to support a diverse supplier pool.

a. Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) Participation Bidders may contact the Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) at http://omwbe.wa.gov/ to obtain information on certified firms for potential subcontracting arrangements or for information on how to become certified. Nothing in this section is intended to prevent or discourage participation from non-MWBE businesses.

b. Washington State Small Business Participation In accordance with the legislative findings and policies set forth in Chapter 39.26 RCW, the State of Washington encourages participation in all of its Contracts by Bidders defined as a Small Business. Participation may be either on a direct basis in response to this Solicitation or on a Subcontractor basis.

Bidder is a Washington Small Business as defined in RCW 39.26.010. To qualify as a Washington Small Business, Bidder must meet both of the following requirements:

Location. Bidder’s principal office/place of business must be located in and identified as being in the State of Washington. A principal office or principal place of business is a firm’s headquarters where business decisions are made and the location for the firm’s books and records as well as the firm’s senior management personnel.

Size. Bidder must be owned and operated independently from all other businesses and have either: (a) fifty (50) or fewer employees; or (b) gross revenue of less than seven million dollars ($7,000,000) annually as reported on Bidder’s federal income tax return or its return filed with the Washington State Department of Revenue over the previous three consecutive years.

c. Certified Veteran-Owned Business Participation In accordance with the legislative findings and policies set forth in Chapter 43.60A.200 RCW, the State of Washington encourages participation in all of its Contracts by firms certified by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA).

Bidder is a Certified Veteran-Owned Business under RCW 43.60A.190. To qualify as a Certified Veteran-Owned Business, Bidder must meet four (4) requirements:

51% Ownership. Bidder must be at least fifty-one percent (51%) owned and controlled by:

A veteran as defined as every person who at the time he or she seeks certification has received a discharge with an honorable characterization or received a discharge for medical reasons with an honorable record, where applicable, and who has served in at least one of the capacities listed in RCW 41.04.007;

A person who is in receipt of disability compensation or pension from the Department of Veterans Affairs; or An active or reserve member in any branch of the armed forces of the United States, including the national guard, coast guard, and armed forces reserves.

Bidder must have provided certification documentation to the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) and be certified by WDVA and listed as such on WDVA’s website (WDVA – Veteran-Owned Businesses).

8. Procurement Priorities and Preferences.

DCYF will apply the following Priorities and Preferences, as set forth in this RFQQ.

a. Evaluation for Executive Order 18-03 (Contractors without Mandatory Individual Arbitration for Employees) Pursuant to RCW 39.26.160(3) (best value criteria) and consistent with Executive Order 18-03 – Supporting Workers’ Rights to Effectively Address Workplace Violations (dated June 12, 2018), DCYF will evaluate bids for best value and provide a bid preference in the amount of Five percent (5%) to any bidder who certifies, pursuant to the certification attached as Attachment B – Bidder Certification and Assurances, that their firm does NOT require its employees, as a condition of employment, to sign or agree to mandatory individual arbitration clauses or class or collective action waiver.

b. Washington Small Business DCYF will evaluate bids for best value and will provide a bid preference in the amount of ten percent (10%) to any Bidder who certifies, pursuant to Attachment C.1 and Attachment B.1 – Bidder’s Washington Small Business Certification, that Bidder qualifies as a ‘Washington Small Business’ as set forth in Section C.7.c.

c. Certified Veteran-Owned Business DCYF will evaluate bids for best value and will provide a bid preference in the amount of ten percent (10%) to any Bidder who certifies, pursuant to Attachment C.1 – Bidder’s Response, that Bidder qualifies as a ‘Veteran-Owned Business as set forth in Section C.7.c. Bidder must provide certification documentation to the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) and be certified by DVA and listed as such on DVA’s website (WDVA – Veteran-Owned Businesses).

9. Cost to Prepare Response DCYF will not be liable for any costs incurred by the Bidder in preparing of a Bid submitted in response to this Solicitation, conducting a site assessment and/or presentation, any other activities related to responding to this Solicitation, and/or submitting a response to this Solicitation.

10. Joint Proposals If Bidders submit a joint response with one or more other persons or entities, these persons or entities must designate a prime Bidder. The prime Bidder will be DCYF sole point of contact through the Solicitation process. If selected as the ASB, the prime Bidder shall sign the Contract and any Amendments and will be liable and responsible to DCYF for all performance under the Contract.

11. Withdrawal of Responses After a response has been submitted, Bidders may withdraw their response at any time up to the response due date and time as specified in Section C.1, Solicitation Schedule. A written request to withdraw the response, signed by an Authorized Representative of the Bidder, must be submitted to the Solicitation Coordinator. After withdrawing a response, the Bidder may submit another response at any time up to the response submission date and time.

12. Wage Theft Prevention Bidder certifies that Bidder has not, within the three (3) year period immediately preceding the date of release of this Competitive Solicitation, been determined by a final and binding citation and notice of assessment issued by the State of Washington Department of Labor and Industries or through a civil judgment to have willfully violated state minimum wage laws (RCW 49.38.082; Chapters 49.46 RCW, 49.48 RCW, or 49.52 RCW). Bidder attests under penalty of perjury that the foregoing statement is true and correct. Bidder must submit Attachment B, attached hereto and incorporated herein as though set forth in full.

13. Wage Violations Contractor represents and warrants that, during the term of this Contract and the three (3) year period immediately preceding the effective date of this Contract, it is not determined, by a final and binding citation and notice of assessment issued by the Washington Department of Labor and Industries or through a civil judgment entered by a court of limited or general jurisdiction, to be in willful violation of any provision of Washington State wage laws set forth in RCW Chapters 49.46, 49.48, or 49.52. For purposes of this Section 13 and pursuant to RCW 49.48.082 as now or hereafter amended, “willful” shall mean a knowing and intentional action that is neither accidental nor the result of a bona fide dispute, as evaluated under the standards applicable to wage payment violations under RCW 49.52.050(2).

14. Pay Equality Contractor represents and warrants that, as required by Washington State law (Laws of 2019,Chap. 415, §225(4)(f)), during the term of this Contract the Contractor agrees to equality among its workers by ensuring similarly employed individuals are compensated as equals.

15. Worker’s Rights Pursuant to the Washington State Governor’s Executive Order 18-03 (dated June 12, 2018), DCYF is seeking to contract with qualified entities and business owners who certify that their employees are not, as a condition of employment, subject to mandatory individual arbitration clauses and class or collective action waivers.

16. Nondiscrimination

1. Nondiscrimination Requirement. During the term of this Contract, Contractor, including any subcontractor, shall not discriminate on the bases enumerated at RCW 49.60.530(3). In addition, Contractor, including any subcontractor, shall give written notice of this nondiscrimination requirement to any labor organizations with which Contractor, or subcontractor, has a collective bargaining or other agreement.

1. Obligation to Cooperate. Contractor, including any subcontractor, shall cooperate and comply with any Washington State agency investigation regarding any allegation that Contractor, including any subcontractor, has engaged in discrimination prohibited by this Contract pursuant to RCW 49.60.530(3).

1. Default. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, DCYF may suspend Contractor, including any subcontractor, upon notice of a failure to participate and cooperate with any state agency investigation into alleged discrimination prohibited by this Contract, pursuant to RCW 49.60.530(3). Any such suspension will remain in place until DCYF receives notification that Contractor, including any subcontractor, is cooperating with the investigating state agency. In the event Contractor, or subcontractor, is determined to have engaged in discrimination identified at RCW 49.60.530(3), DCYF may terminate this Contract in whole or in part, and Contractor, subcontractor, or both, may be referred for debarment as provided in RCW 39.26.200. Contractor or subcontractor may be given a reasonable time in which to cure this noncompliance, including implementing conditions consistent with any court-ordered injunctive relief or settlement agreement.

1. Remedies for Breach. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, in the event of Contract termination or suspension for engaging in discrimination, Contractor, subcontractor, or both, shall be liable for contract damages as authorized by law including, but not limited to, any cost difference between the original contract and the replacement or cover contract and all administrative costs directly related to the replacement contract, which damages are distinct from any penalties imposed under Chapter 49.60, RCW. DCYF shall have the right to deduct from any monies due to Contractor or subcontractor, or that thereafter become due, an amount for damages Contractor or subcontractor will owe DCYF for default under this provision.

17. Most Favorable Terms DCYF reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the Bid submitted. Therefore, the Bid should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms which the Bidder can propose. DCYF does reserve the right to contact a Bidder for clarification of its Bid.

The Bidder should be prepared to accept this RFQQ for incorporation into a Contract resulting from this RFQQ. Contract negotiations may incorporate some or all of the Bidder’s Bid. It is understood that the Bid will become a part of the official Solicitation file on this matter without obligation to DCYF.

18. Announcement of Successful Bidder(s) DCYF shall announce the ASB(s) via WEBS on the date indicated in Section C.1., Solicitation Schedule. All announcements of ASB(s) are subject to the negotiation of a Contract satisfactory to DCYF.

19. Ethics, Policies and Law This Solicitation, the evaluation of responses, and any resulting Contract will be made in conformance with applicable Washington State laws and policies.

Specific restrictions apply to contracting with current or former state employees pursuant to RCW 42.52. Bidders should familiarize themselves with the requirements prior to submitting a Response. Bidders must include information regarding any current or former state employees who are employed by, or subcontracted with Bidder in Attachment C-1, Administrative Requirements Response.

D. PROPOSAL CONTENT, FORMAT AND SUBMISSION

Bidders shall submit their responses utilizing the forms set forth on Attachments B, B-1, C-1, C-2, C-3 and D to this Competitive Solicitation. Each attachment represents a separate section of the response. Failure to complete and submit all Required attachments, and to sign them, if applicable, may result in Bidder disqualification. Responses should be neatly typed in 12-point font, using proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and should be submitted in the following order with each section of the response clearly labeled.

1. Attachment B - Certifications and Assurances (Required/Pass-Fail) All Bidders must submit a completed Certifications and Assurances in the form and with the minimum contents set forth on Attachment B, which must include all the required acknowledgments and information. The Certifications and Assurances must be signed by an individual authorized to bind the Bidder contractually.

Attachment B-1 Bidder Small Business Self Certification (Required to Receive Preference Points as a Small Business, if you are a small business)

2. Attachment C - Bidder Response Forms (Required/Portions Scored)

Using Attachment C-1, C-2, and C-3, Bidders must provide answers to the questions set forth on the Bidder Response Forms to demonstrate satisfaction of administrative requirements and, as applicable to this Solicitation, their qualifications, approach, and proposed pricing to provide the services as outlined in this Solicitation, including the sample Contract set forth on Attachment A.

Attachment C-1, Administrative Requirements Response (Required/Pass-Fail)

Attachment C-2 Bidder Response Form (Required/Scored) The Bidder Response Form is posted separately from this Solicitation Document in Microsoft Word format. Except for limits that are noted on the Bidder Response Form, Bidders may utilize as much space as is reasonably required to respond to each question, provided all questions are repeated and remain numbered and ordered as set forth in Attachment C-2. Bidders should not submit product brochures, white papers, and customer testimonials, cut sheets, or other pre-prepared materials in response to any of the questions.

Use of Attachment C-2 assures that Bidders respond to specific questions in space immediately below those questions and helps to avoid confusion among Evaluators about the question that is being responded to. Failure to use the form set forth on Attachment C-2, and failure to respond to all questions and/or failure to submit any documents requested in the Bidder Response Forms may result in Bidder’s disqualification.

Bidders must submit complete, well-organized explanatory answers that address all of the specific questions asked in the Bidder Response Form. Bidders should not assume that Evaluators will be familiar with their businesses before conducting the evaluation.

If Bidder is awarded a Contract, DCYF may require the Bidder Response Form C-2 to be incorporated, in whole, into the Contract by reference.

Attachment C-3 Cost proposal (Excel Budget) (Required/Scored)

3. Attachment D - Small and Diverse Business Inclusion Plan – Subcontractors

a. Bidders who, if awarded a Contract, intend to use subcontractors, must complete Bidder Response Attachment D – Small and Diverse Business Inclusion Plan – Subcontractors in the form set forth herein. Awarded bidders who do not submit a Diverse Business Inclusion Plan will be precluded from utilizing subcontractors to perform the Contract.

b. As part of the Diverse Business Inclusion Plan – Subcontractors, Bidder is encouraged to include an anticipated list of small/diverse subcontractors who may assist Bidder in fulfilling Bidder’s contractual obligations, if bidder is awarded a Contract pursuant to this Competitive Solicitation. This list should identify any subcontractors who are small/diverse businesses as defined above.

c. If awarded, the Bidder’s Diverse Business Inclusion Plan – Subcontractor will be incorporated into the terms and conditions of the resulting Contract and bidder will report performance and progress to DCYF as set forth in the Contract.

d. Bidders must describe their efforts in engaging and reducing any barriers to participation by small/diverse businesses, including outreach, education/mentorship, and process changes designed to increase small/diverse business participation.

e. The small/diverse business goals set forth herein are voluntary. Bidders will not be considered non-responsive if the Diverse Business Inclusion Plan – Subcontractors has a zero small/diverse business participation amount. DCYF, however, encourages bidders to be proactive in engaging small/diverse business participation. No preference will be included in the evaluation of bids based on the Diverse Business Inclusion Plan – Subcontractors. No minimum level of small/diverse business participation is required as a condition for receiving a Contract award.

4. Key Personnel Bidder shall identify the key personnel it shall utilize in performing this Contract, and their experience and qualifications, as part of its proposal. If awarded a Contract, Bidder shall not make changes to such key personnel during the term of the Contract except as requested or approved by DCYF.

5. Letters of Reference (Required to submit with proposal) Bidders must submit three (3) Letters of Reference which demonstrate their ability to provide services as described in this Solicitation. Letters of Reference from a current DCYF employee will be considered non-responsive. The Bidder must grant permission to DCYF to contact the references and others who may have pertinent information.

6. Pre-bid Conference A Teams pre-bid conference is scheduled to be held on January 13, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., Pacific Daylight Time, Washington. Bidder should participate; however, participation is not mandatory.

Teams link: Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 218 840 635 330 40 Passcode: Qr9Dk6YE DCYF will be bound only to DCYF’S written answers to questions. Questions arising at the pre-bid conference or in subsequent communication with the Solicitation Coordinator will be documented and answered in written form. A copy of the questions and answers will be posted in WEBS.

7. Proprietary Information/Public Disclosure Materials submitted in response to this Solicitation shall be deemed public records as defined by RCW 42.56. All responses and accompanying documentation shall become the property of DCYF upon receipt and will not be returned.

The Bidder’s response must include, on Attachment C, a statement identifying the pages of its response, if any, which contain information the Bidder considers proprietary. Each page claimed to be proprietary must be clearly marked by stating the word “Proprietary” printed on the lower right-hand corner of the page. Bidders must be reasonable in designating information as proprietary or confidential. Bidders may not mark their entire Response proprietary. Doing so will not be honored and will disqualify your Response from further consideration.

If DCYF receives a request to view or copy a Bidder’s response, DCYF will respond according to applicable law and DCYF’s policy governing public disclosure. DCYF will not disclose any information marked “Proprietary” in a response without giving the Bidder ten (10) calendar days’ notice to seek relief in superior court per RCW 42.56.540. Bid submissions and Bid evaluations are exempt from disclosure until DCYF announces the ASB.

8. Submission of Responses

Bid responses must be stored in an acceptable electronic format as set forth in Section 10, below. Bid responses must be emailed directly to the Solicitation Coordinator at the email address provided on the cover sheet of this Solicitation. Bid responses must be received by the Solicitation Coordinator in their entirety on or before the due date and time set forth in Section C.1., Solicitation Schedule, unless a posted Amendment to this Competitive Solicitation changes this due date and time. Bidder’s completed version of each of the Attachments B and C to this Solicitation shall be included as a separate attachment to the Bidder’s email(s).

Bidders assume all risks for the timely submission of the response. Bidders are responsible for allowing sufficient time to ensure timely electronic receipt of their response by DCYF. DCYF does not assume responsibility for problems with the Bidder’s email or network. However, if DCYF email is not working properly, appropriate allowances will be made.

DCYF will not accept late responses. Late responses will be automatically disqualified from further consideration, unless the DCYF’S e-mail is found to be at fault. DCYF will disqualify any response and withdraw it from consideration if it is received after the response submission due date and time. All Bids and any accompanying documentation become the property of the DCYF and will not be returned.

9. Acceptable Electronic Formats for Submission of Responses

Attachment C-1, C-2 and D, Bidder response Form, should be submitted in Microsoft Word or a Portable Document Format (Adobe Acrobat PDF). Attachment C-3, and other spreadsheet documents must be submitted in Microsoft Excel and in a live, unprotected file that includes all formulas, macros, and computations that are relied on or used to calculate any rates or values presented therein.

NOTE: DCYF cannot receive emails that are larger than 30MB. To keep file sizes to a minimum, Bidders are cautioned not to use unnecessary graphics in their responses. If your response approaches or exceeds 30MB, you must break it up and send it by more than one email so that no single email exceeds 30MB.

E. EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

1. Bid Responsiveness; Administrative Review All responses will be reviewed by the Solicitation Coordinator to determine compliance with administrative and minimum qualification requirements and instructions specified in this Solicitation. DCYF may reject a response as non-responsive at any time for any of the following reasons:

The Solicitation Coordinator may contact any Bidder for clarification of the response. If a response is deemed non-responsive, it shall be removed from further consideration. DCYF shall notify non-responsive Bidder(s) of this determination and the supporting reasons.

If a response meets all administrative and Bidder qualification requirements and submittal instructions, DCYF shall continue with the written evaluation and, if applicable, the oral evaluation.

DCYF also reserves the right, however, at its sole discretion to waive minor administrative irregularities.

2. Errors in Bidder Response Bidders are responsible for all errors or omissions contained in their responses. Bidders will not be allowed to alter response documents after the deadline for response submissions.

DCYF reserves the right to contact any Bidder for clarification of Response contents. In those cases, where it is unclear to what extent a requirement has been addressed, the evaluation panel may, in their discretion and acting through the Solicitation Coordinator, contact a Bidder to clarify specific matters in the submitted response.

3. Evaluation Criteria and Scoring of Responses

a. Following the administrative review, Responsive Bids will be evaluated using the following weighting and points:

b. The score for the Cost Proposal will be computed as follows:

(1) Proposed contractor costs will be calculated by dividing the lowest amount bid by the amount bid in the Bidder’s Cost Proposal and multiplying that percentage against the total points available for the Cost Proposal, rounded to the nearest tenth of a point.

c. DCYF will apply the following Washington State procurement priorities and preferences to this…