RFR 270528 Supporting Health and Medical Coordinating Coalitions - MetroBoston Only.docx

APPLICATION FOR GRANTS AND SUBSIDIES (PP OBJECT CLASS)

Key RFR Information All Potential Bidder’s must readCOMMBUYS REGISTRATION It is the responsibility of the prospective Bidder and awarded Contractor to maintain an active registration in COMMBUYS and to keep current the email address of the Bidder’s contact person and prospective contract manager, if awarded a contract, and to monitor that email inbox for communications from the Purchasing Department, including requests for clarification. The Purchasing Department and the Commonwealth assume no responsibility if a prospective Bidder’s/awarded Contractor’s designated email address is not current, or if technical problems, including those with the prospective Bidder’s/awarded Contractor’s computer, network or internet service provider (ISP) cause email communications sent to/from the prospective Bidder/Awarded contractor and the Purchasing Department to be lost or rejected by any means including email or spam filtering. To register review the COMMBUYS Job Aide COMMBUYS Vendor Registration or go to www.COMMBUYS.com.

QUOTE SUBMISSION

This BID requires the submission of electronic quotes. All Bidders are advised to allow adequate time for submission of their quotes by considering potential online impediments like Internet traffic, Internet connection speed, file size, and file volume. DPH is not responsible for delays encountered by Bidders or their agents, or for a Bidder’s local hardware failures, such as computers or related networks, associated with bid compilation or submission. Bids submitted via COMMBUYS are time stamped by the COMMBUYS system clock which is considered the official time of record.

If you plan to submit a quote to this RFR “No Bid” should not be checked anywhere in your quote in COMMBUYS. This includes on the General Screen and the Items tab. Checking No Bid sends your quote to a different location in COMMBUYS than the rest of the quotes for that Bid and you run the risk of the Department not receiving your response. The department will not guarantee that a bid received with a “No Bid” checked will be reviewed.

Title of Grant RFR: Supporting Health and Medical Coordinating Coalitions – Boston Metro Region DPH RFR Document File Number: 270528 COMMBUYS BID Number: BD-26-1031-ADMIN-ADM07-126034 Contact Name: Aaron Gettinger E-mail: Aaron.Gettinger1@mass.gov

Section A: Procurement Overview

A1: Procurement Description or purpose This procurement is only open to the vendors that held DPH RFR # 161326, 193926, and 171226, Health and Medical Coordinating Coalitions contracts in FY26 for the Metro Boston region, (ie, Region 4ab). The vendor will only be allowed to continue the programming that is already contracted in FY26.

A2: Program Background Information This procurement continues work from RFR 161326, and subsequent procurements under 193926 and 171226. The initial procurement in 2016 was for the establishment of six Health and Medical coordinating Coalitions (HMCC), which followed a phased build out and then sustainment. The subsequent RFRs were to finalize the six regional entities to act as host agents for the coalitions.

Section B: Procurement Information B1: Applicable Procurement Law

Executive Branch Goods and Services

B2: Anticipated Payment Methodology:

B3. Whether Single Or Multiple Grantees Are Required For Grant(s) Check One (“X”):

B4. Expected Duration of Grant (Initial Duration and Any Options to Renew) (Subject to appropriation or the availability of sufficient non-appropriated funds under the grant funding authority)

B4: Anticipated Expenditures, Funding Or Compensation For Expected Duration

Dollar Amount

Will Federal Funds be used to fund any part of Contract(s)?

*Additional information for contracts with Federal Dollars:

Sub-Recipient: Grantees receiving federal grant funds will be considered sub-recipients for federal grant purposes and will be required to comply with applicable federal requirements, including but not limited to sub-recipient audit requirements under OMB Circular A-133.

Capital Budget Items: The funds received in advance of expenditure by a grantee for a capital budget item must be held in a segregated non-interest bearing account and must be expended within 60 days (for policy information on spending capital funds see: Office of the State Comptroller, State Grants and Federal Sub-grants: 815 CMR 2 (mass.gov)

Unique Entity Identifier: On April 4, 2022, the unique entity identifier used across the federal government changed from the DUNS Number to the Unique Entity ID also known as UEI or SAMS number. Any entity that wants to apply for federal contracts or wants to receive federal funds must register with SAM. Entities that use SAM include for profit businesses, nonprofits, government contractors or subcontractors, as well as state and local governments.

Registering with SAM.gov is free and is required for your organization to receive federal funds. Your organization can submit an application to this RFR without being registered on SAM, however if awarded your organization will need to have an active SAM account prior to contract execution.

Unspent Funds: Any funds from Capital, Trust and/or Federal Accounts designated in the budget that are unspent in any fiscal year will not be available for expenditure in the subsequent fiscal year.

Section C: Performance and Contract Specifications C1: Eligibility This RFR is for services under Office of the Comptroller’s object code classification PP1. To be considered eligible to apply for this RFR a bidder must be considered an organization. Individuals are not eligible to apply. This procurement is only open to the vendors that held a DPH RFR # 161326, 193926, and 171226, Supporting Health and Medical Coordinating Coalitions contract in FY26 for the Metro Boston region, (ie, Region 4ab). The vendors will only be allowed to continue the programming that is already contracted in FY26.

C2: Scope of Services Each HMCC will require collaboration among public and private health and medical organizations, organized to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the impact of an emergency, mass casualty event, or other catastrophic health event. HMCC governance structures, principles of operation, membership composition, and decision-making processes must be established, reviewed annually, and reflect the unique characteristics of the region and be consistent with state guidance.

The work of the HMCC will be supported by a sponsoring organization with dedicated staffing funded under contract with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH). The sponsoring organization will receive and disseminate funding received from DPH as directed by the DPH Office of Preparedness and Emergency Management (OPEM). Allocation of funds will be governed by federal guidance that requires that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) funds be used only for public health preparedness activities consistent with the Public Health Response Readiness Framework. The requirement for local health concurrence with the annual PHEP funding application remains in effect. Similarly, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) funds may be used only for health care system preparedness activities consistent with Health Care Preparedness and Response Capabilities. In some limited instances, PHEP and HPP funds may be used together to support work on priorities common to both PHEP and HPP, in accordance with grant guidance and requirements. In addition, the sponsoring organization will ensure compliance with the Commonwealth Terms and Conditions and guidance provided in the Grants Management Manual (GMM).

The sponsoring organization must fulfill the following functions to support the HMCC:

· cross-disciplinary planning consistent with the National Incident Management System (NIMS);

· coordination of local and regional planning efforts to ensure alignment;

· provide 24/7/365 coverage and maintain capacity to stand-up an emergency operations center (EOC), real or virtual as determined by the incident, to support regional response and recovery activities;

· support situational awareness and information sharing;

· facilitate resource coordination;

· training and exercise participation and support;

· communications and IT coordination;

· maintain ability to support virtual and/or in-person meeting logistics and coordination;

· provide all necessary programmatic, administrative, and fiscal reporting and coordination to demonstrate local and regional progress and activities as directed by DPH OPEM.

On or before June 30, 2027, the sponsoring organization will also ensure that the personnel employed or contracted with PHEP, HPP, MRC, and HMCC dollars fulfill the deliverables outlined in the BP3 deliverable documents.

REQUIRED STAFFING

The sponsoring organization must ensure dedicated staffing of two full-time equivalent (FTE) staff members to support regional HMCC activities, which will include at a minimum the HMCC Program Manager and the Planning and Operations Coordinator. Any additional sponsoring organization staff employed to achieve the deliverables of the HMCC will be determined by the sponsoring organization and be approved by OPEM prior to posting and hiring or filling the position. This prior approval includes sponsoring organizations utilizing its staff members to fulfill roles identified by entities it is contracted to provide fiscal structure to (e.g., providing coordination or planning services to PHEP coalitions or hospital regions, coordination to Medical Reserve Corps ‘(MRC), or other service to these entities). Such approval will require a detailed scope of service that outlines and clarifies the separate roles of the HMCC sponsoring org staff and the services the sponsoring organization will provide to the entity. The sponsoring organization must have equipment and capabilities available to be utilized by all FTE staff, to complete all required work either in-person or remotely.

All sponsoring organization staff may not otherwise be directly employed by, volunteer for, or be in a contractual arrangement with an external entity to provide services to any entity within the Region that represents one of the core disciplines or public safety or emergency management. If a candidate for any of the sponsoring organization staff is employed by or under contract to provide services to an entity that represents one of the core disciplines outside the Region, the sponsoring organization must provide a written plan to ensure that the candidate will be available to respond in an emergency affecting the HMCC region.

In the event of an emergency, sponsoring organization staff will fill a cross-discipline coordination role to support development of a common operating picture across the communities and agencies in the region, providing situational awareness, and facilitate resource sharing pursuant to regionally developed plans and procedures. Because of their 24/7/365 coverage responsibilities, the sponsoring organization staff in HMCC roles may not have other incident management or response roles in their region and may not fill a role on an incident command structure when fulfilling a 24/7 role either on standby or during activation for the HMCC. All sponsoring organization staff must be familiar with and agree to adhere to all applicable policies regarding conflict of interest. Each HMCC’s emergency response capability must be able to be stood up and utilized throughout the duration of an emergency or response by the Region, or if requested and directed by DPH OPEM to support another region.

The sponsoring organization will assign a single point of contact with respect to this Scope of Work who will ensure responsiveness to DPH inquiries, timely delivery of reports, services and billing, and who will monitor the quality of deliverables, targets and benchmarks.

FISCAL MANAGEMENT

OPEM provides a GMM to sponsoring organizations. The GMM is designed to provide guidance for HMCC, MRC, HPP, and PHEP program implementation activities. The GMM provides the guidance necessary to support the implementation of programmatic and financial systems in compliance with funding requirements. The Appendices include examples of deliverables, procedures, and forms from DPH OPEM.

The sponsoring organization will be the fiscal agent for the region, which includes supporting the entities within the region with procurement of equipment, supplies, services, and support as it relates to the DPH approved budgets for PHEP, HPP, HMCC, and MRC. These entities will follow their own governance for organization and decision making, which the sponsoring organization will support as noted above. However, the sponsoring organization as the fiscal agent is required to provide fiscal reporting to DPH that is accurate and timely, and to have the proper internal controls to safeguard the integrity of this information. The sponsoring organization is responsible for reviewing, ensuring accuracy of, and compliance with the GMM for all documents submitted to them for approval prior to sending to DPH for approval. The HMCC sponsoring organization is responsible for the contract administration requirements as set forth in the GMM.

All funds received or held for the benefit of the HMCC or HMCC disciplines, including quarterly payments for costs and expenses, shall be segregated by the sponsoring organization, and deposited in one identifiable bank account labeled “HMCC Account”.

PROGRAMMATIC MANAGEMENT

The sponsoring organization will be responsible for programmatic management of emergency preparedness and response activities funded by DPH OPEM in the HMCC region. In addition to the activities required to meet the annual deliverables, the sponsoring organization must:

1. Meet with DPH in-person or virtually regularly during the contract term to review progress and identify challenges or concerns related to overall contract performance.

1. Participate in all regularly scheduled meetings for HMCC sponsoring organization program staff, which will provide an opportunity to receive program updates, obtain technical assistance, communicate challenges, and participate in HMCC development. This includes, but is not limited to, at least one sponsoring organization staff attending in-person meetings when scheduled.

1. Work with the HMCC governing body and DPH OPEM to establish an HMCC budget and Priority Area report for the following budget period and work with DPH OPEM staff to monitor the completion of deliverables and fiscal activities, and provide all required data and reports, including the Quarterly Expense Report, using a submission process and schedule established by DPH OPEM.

1. The sponsoring organization will provide 24/7/365 capacity in the region and the capability to provide situational awareness, load-balancing coordination, and resource allocation support in the event of an emergency affecting the region. The capacity may be in-person or virtual and must include the ability to respond in-person to locations within the Commonwealth if requested by stakeholders or DPH. This includes, but is not limited to, maintaining an emergency notification system (ENS), capable of sending messages by voice, text, and email, as well as a regional duty officer program with primary and secondary personnel to answer pages from stakeholders. The sponsoring organization will ensure any additional staff providing the 24/7 coverage are prepared to provide regional duty officer coverage support, as needed to maintain emergency response capacity.

1. The sponsoring organization will support continuity of operation planning to ensure the HMCC and regional 24/7/365 capacity will remain in-place. This includes, but is not limited to, having critical records, services, and utilities included in any succession and continuity planning.

1. The sponsoring organization, working in collaboration with the HMCC governing body, will conduct outreach to all core discipline organizations to ensure that they are informed about and included in planning activities. The sponsoring organization will work with OPEM to maintain current 24/7 contact information for all HMCC stakeholders in the region. This will be documented via tools or templates directed by DPH.

1. The sponsoring organization will build upon relationships, partnerships and regional agreements.

1. The sponsoring organization will provide information to DPH OPEM as requested.

C3: Performance Requirements and Contract Monitoring As outlined in the GMM, the sponsoring organization will submit quarterly spending reports for HMCC, local health coalitions, hospitals, and MRC expenditures. Quarterly spending reports will provide delineation of expenditures by funding source, item, and cost.

In addition, Priority Area updates will be reviewed and submitted by the sponsoring organization for the local health coalitions, hospitals, MRCs, and HMCCs on a quarterly basis to detail progress with planned activities as they relate to the priorities of the region.

C4: Contract Invoicing To ensure compliance with federal requirements, payments will be disbursed in four allotments. Payments will each be 25% of the region’s BP3 approved budget.

All disbursements are contingent upon satisfactory progress toward HMCC completion of deliverables and reporting requirements and timely submission of all required reports.

Payment through Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) is required for any contract awarded through this solicitation. If awarded a contract vendors not already enrolled will be required to sign up for EFT as a contract requirement by completing and submitting the Authorization for Electronic Funds Transfer Form to the Department. Additional information will be sent at the time of contract.

Section E: Estimated Procurement Calendar

RFR Release Date

March 6, 2026

Deadline for Submission of Responses Also known as the BID Opening Date in COMMBUYS

March 20, 2026

4:00 PM

Anticipated Contract Start Date

July 1, 2026

Section F: Instructions for Submission of Responses

F1: Bidder Response Requirements Potential bidder’s should refer to the Application Response Form found in the Attachments to this RFR on COMMBUYS for required questions to be completed as part of this RFR F2: COMMBUYS Submission Instructions All responses are to be submitted electronically using the online submission tools available to Vendors registered in COMMBUYS. There is no charge to register in COMMBUYS. To Register go to www.COMMBUYS.com and click on the “Register” link on the front page. COMMBUYS Vendor Registration Job Aide is also available.

All Quotes must be received by the Department of Public Health before the specified date, month, year and time of the Bid Opening Date displayed on COMMBUYS. Times are Eastern Standard/Daylight Savings (US), as applicable.

All Bidders are advised to allow adequate time for submission by considering potential online submission impediments like Internet traffic, Internet connection speed, file size, and file volume. DPH is not responsible for delays encountered by Bidders or their agents, or for a Bidder’s local hardware failures, such as computers or related networks, associated with bid compilation or submission. Bids submitted via COMMBUYS are time stamped by the COMMBUYS system clock which is considered the official time of record.

Bidders are encouraged to upload attachments well in advance of the Bid Opening Date. This will help to reduce disqualified submissions that can occur if upload is not fully completed or if an attachment is missing at the deadline. Prior to the Bid Opening Date listed in the Procurement Calendar above, documents can easily be deleted and revised versions can be uploaded. If you wish to revise or delete a quote after submission, you may do so prior to the bid opening date. Please review the Withdraw, Reopen, and Resubmit a Quote in COMMBUYS Job Aide for additional instructions.

No Bid in COMMBUYS Quote If you plan to submit a quote to this RFR “No Bid” should not be checked anywhere in your quote in COMMBUYS. This includes on the General Screen and the Items tab. Checking No Bid sends your quote to a different location in COMMBUYS than the rest of the quotes for that Bid and you run the risk of the Department not receiving your response. The department will not guarantee that a bid received with a “No Bid” checked will be reviewed.

Electronic Signatures Quotes submitted via COMMBUYS must be signed electronically by the Bidder or the Bidder’s Agent by accepting the terms and conditions of the bid on the “Terms & Conditions” tab in COMMBUYS. Bidders do this by selecting “Save & Continue” on the “Terms and Conditions” tab after accepting the terms and conditions of the bid. By agreeing to this the submitter attests that s/he is an agent of the Bidder with authority to sign on the Bidder’s behalf, and that s/he has read and assented to each document’s terms.

File Format and Naming Conventions Scanned documents will be accepted and must be scanned in such a way that they can be read on a computer monitor and printed on 81/2” x 11” paper, unless otherwise specified. Attachments must be uploaded individually and cannot be combined in a zipped file.

DPH is requiring that all response attachments that are uploaded in COMMBUYS include the company name of the Bidder, the RFR number and the name of the document. (e.g. Company Name _ RFR Number _Doc Name).

F3: RFR Attachments To assist bidders in identify the purpose of the attachments for this procurement; the forms posted on the COMMBUYS attachment section have a prefix according to the following chart:

F4: COMMBUYS Support

A link to a job aid on How to Submit a Quote on COMMBUYS COMMBUYS Resource Information at www.mass.gov/osd/commbuys Email: Send inquiries to the COMMBUYS OSD Help Desk at OSDHelpDesk@mass.gov Telephone: Call the COMMBUYS Help Desk at 1-888-627-8283 or 617-720-3197. The Help Desk is staffed from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday Eastern Standard or Daylight time, as applicable, except on federal and state holidays.

Technical assistance is available during the procurement process. Every effort is made to respond to inquiries within one business day.

Bidders are advised that COMMBUYS will be unavailable during regularly scheduled maintenance hours of which all users will be notified.

Section G: Other Requirements Pertaining to this RFR Additional RFR requirements can be found in the document “Additional Requirements for Grants” found in the READ folder in the attachments section of COMMBUYS for this RFR.

Fraud Risk Management and Reporting Requirements: Fraud is defined as any intentional illegal act characterized by deceit, concealment, or violation of trust, committed by an individual or organization to obtain money, property, or services; to avoid payment or loss of property or services; or to secure personal or business advantage.

DPH requires that all providers have a zero-tolerance policy for fraud. All DPH providers must maintain internal fraud risk management policies and procedures that include regular risk assessments, internal controls, and a process for reporting and investigating incidents of suspected fraud. Such policies and procedures shall be made available to DPH for review upon written request.

Additionally, in connection with their work for DPH, providers are required to comply with the following obligations related to incidents of suspected fraud:

· Notification to DPH. Written notification of any incident of suspected fraud must be made as soon as possible, but no less than 5 business days, following discovery to your DPH program contract manager.

· Responsibility for Personnel. Providers are solely responsible for the actions of any individuals or entities it employs, contracts with, or otherwise uses in connection with the provision of the work under this RFR to DPH, including, without limitation, any actions by such personnel that may result in an incident of suspected fraud and/or misuse and/or abuse of Commonwealth funds.

· Cooperation. Irrespective of any actions taken by the provider, providers are expected to cooperate fully in any investigation, litigation, or other action deemed necessary by the Commonwealth in connection with an incident of suspected fraud.

· Corrective Measures. Immediately upon becoming aware of an incident of suspected fraud, the provider shall, at its own expense, take all reasonable and appropriate action necessary to mitigate, to the extent practicable, any harmful effect of the incident. Upon request, the provider, at its own expense, shall take such further actions as the Commonwealth may reasonably request, or shall take such additional action to assist the Commonwealth to further mitigate any harmful effect of the incident and prevent recurrence, including, without limitation, strengthening internal controls.

Failure to report incidents of suspected fraud in a timely manner may result in adverse consequences, including, but not limited to, any of the following: recoupment of funds, suspension of payments, required corrective action plans, suspension/termination of program participation and/or any contract with DPH, or civil or criminal penalties.

MDPH use of DocuSign for Execution of Contracts: Contracts and Engagements for the Department are sent through DocuSign. Vendors will be able to use DocuSign to electronically sign and return all applicable contract forms to DPH. A web browser and valid email are all that are needed to access the documents through DocuSign. A DocuSign account is not required. Contracted vendors will be expected to keep their contract contact information updated through the life of their contract with the Department. The Job Aide “How to Sign MDPH Contracts and Engagements” is available in the attachment section for this RFR on COMMBUYS.

MBTA Communities Compliance Grant Policy: The receipt of grant funds is contingent upon the grantee being able to certify that it will comply with the Massachusetts General Laws, including G.L. c. 40A, § 3A, the MBTA Communities Act. Compliance with the MBTA Communities Act is determined by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.”

Public Records: All information, documents, and attachments submitted as a response to this RFR are considered a public document subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, M.G.L., c. 66, s. 10, and to c. 4, s. 7, ss. 26. Please be aware that checking the “confidential” box in COMMBUYS does not bar these documents from being released as a public record pursuant to these statutes once the procurement is awarded, unless statutorily exempt from disclosure.

Vendor Activation Requirements: To receive a contract with state an awarded vendor must be active in The Massachusetts Management Accounting and Reporting System (MMARS). MMARS is the official accounting system of the Commonwealth and once registered a vendor will be issued a Vendor Code number or a “VC” number. This VC number is used for all contracts that a vendor has with state agencies. An organization with existing state contracts or a vendor who has had state contracts with any state agency in the past has been registered in MMARS and does not need to re-submit paperwork again unless existing information in MMARS will need to be updated. Upon notification of a contract award to this RFR, awarded vendors not already registered in MMARS will be sent the required paperwork to be completed before a contract will be awarded which includes a W-9 form, Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and Contractor Authorized Signatory Listing.

Virtual Gateway Business Services: The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) operates a number of online business services through the Virtual Gateway. These include but are not limited to, Provider Data Management (PDM), Common Intake (IE&R), Enterprise Invoice / Service Management (EIM/ESM), Home and Community Service Information System (HCSIS), Senior Information Management System (SIMS) Service and Transition Planning System (STARS).

These services permit users to access a variety of EOHHS programs and services. Virtual Gateway business services are accessible by end users with web browsers such as Internet Explorer (6.0 or above), and a broadband Internet connection that is capable of high-speed data transmission, such as a Local Area Network (LAN), a cable modem, or DSL.

PP RFR Template 1-2023