OFFICE FOR REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS

REQUEST FOR RESPONSE

SFY 2027 Citizenship for New Americans Program (CNAP) – Technical Assistance

Number FY27-ORI-01

Purchasing Department: Office for Refugees and Immigrants (ORI) One Ashburton Place, 5th Floor Boston, MA 02108

Phone/Fax: Phone: (617) 727-7888 | Fax: (617) 727-1822

Procurement Contact Person: Robin LaBranche, Contracts Specialist

RFR Title: Citizenship for New Americans Program (CNAP) – Technical Assistance

RFR File Number: FY27-ORI-01

Management Group/Category: Health, Human and Social Services /SERVICES-Community and Social Services

SECTION 1. OVERVIEW AND PROCUREMENT SPECIFICATIONS

The Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants’ mission is to welcome and empower all immigrants in Massachusetts to access resources and support. ORI’s vision seeks to ensure that all immigrants are welcomed to the Commonwealth, achieve success and are fully included in the economic, civic and social fabric of Massachusetts. As the State agency tasked with this mission, ORI administers state programs that provide a comprehensive range of services to immigrants in Massachusetts through a network of community-based organizations.

1. SUMMARY OF PROCUREMENT:

Under this Request for Responses (RFR), ORI seeks to engage a non-profit agency to provide technical assistance and related services for ORI’s Citizenship for New Americans Program (CNAP). Through a network of approximately fourteen contracted service providers, ORI’s CNAP program assists lawful permanent residents of the Commonwealth become citizens through naturalization and citizenship services (i.e., N-400 and N-600 services).

This RFR seeks to engage a single organization to provide technical assistance to CNAP organizations, assisting these providers in their provision of CNAP services to immigrants in the Commonwealth. Technical assistance for the CNAP program includes responding to questions from CNAP providers on naturalization and citizenship applications, maintaining up to date knowledge of changing requirements related to these applications, providing expert support for CNAP providers with DOJ-recognition and accreditation applications and renewals, and other related services. The selected Bidder must have an immigration attorney on staff to provide

RFR: CNAP TA SFY2027

Bid# FY27-ORI-01 legal advice to CNAP organizations. The selected Bidder will provide technical assistance services to CNAP providers and will not provide direct naturalization and citizenship application assistance services (i.e., N-400 and N-600 services) to clients under this engagement. Further details regarding the CNAP TA scope of services are set forth in Section 3, below.

2. ANTICIPATED AWARD:

The total award amount is contingent on the availability of funding per state fiscal year, which runs from July 1 to June 30.

Approximate funding of $50,000 is available to support CNAP technical assistance (TA) services in Year 1 (SFY2027) under this RFR. Funding for subsequent years is contingent upon the availability of state funds. This award amount will be disbursed to the successful bidder as described below.

3. APPLICABLE PROCUREMENT LAW:

This Bid is issued under the following law(s): MGL c.7, §22, §22N; c. 30, §51, §52; 801 CMR 21.00; 808 CMR 1.00 (Human and Social Services)

4. ACQUISITION METHOD:

__X__ Fee-for-Service _____ Outright Purchase _____ Rental _____ Term Lease _____ Other

5. THIS PROCUREMENT WILL RESULT IN:

__X__ Single Contractor __ ___ Multiple Contractors _____ Multiple Contractors selected through Open Enrollment Procurement _____ To Be Determined

6. SINGLE OR MULTIPLE DEPARTMENT PARTICIPATION:

___X__ Only Procuring Department May Contract Under RFR ______ Option to Allow Other Departments to Contract Under RFR

7. ANTICIPATED DURATION OF CONTRACT:

Total Anticipated Contract Duration: October 1, 2026 – June 30, 2031

Initial Duration: Up to 1 year (October 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027)

Options to Renew: _4__ option(s) to renew for ___1___ year each option

8. ANTICIPATED EXPENDITURES, FUNDING OR COMPENSATION FOR EXPECTED

DURATION:

____X__ Contract will have a Maximum Obligation Amount _______ Contract will NOT have a Maximum Obligation Amount (Rate Contract).

_______ Subject to Quotes by Pre-Qualified List of Contractors.

9. WILL FEDERAL FUNDS BE USED TO FUND CONTRACT(S)?

__X__ NO __ YES (If YES, to what extent?): ___NA___%

10. WILL A BIDDERS CONFERENCE BE OFFERED?

__X__ NO ____ YES

11. PROCEDURES FOR RFR QUESTIONS ON COMMBUYS:

The “Bid Q&A” provides the opportunity for Bidders to ask written questions and receive written answers from ORI regarding this Bid. Bidders’ questions must be submitted through the Bid Q&A found on COMMBUYS (see below for instructions) no later than 5:00 p.m. (EST) on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. ORI reserves the right not to respond to questions submitted after this deadline. Written responses to questions submitted within the deadline will be posted on COMMBUYS within five (5) business days of receipt of the question. It is the Bidder’s responsibility to verify receipt of questions.

Please note that questions submitted to ORI using any other medium (including those that are sent by mail, fax, email, or voicemail, etc.) will not be answered. To reduce the number of redundant or duplicate questions, Bidders are asked to review all questions previously submitted to determine whether the Bidder’s question has already been posted.

Bidders are responsible for entering content suitable for public viewing since all questions are accessible to the public. Bidders must not include information that could be considered personal, security sensitive, inflammatory, incorrect, collusory, or otherwise objectionable, including information about the Bidder’s company or other companies. ORI reserves the right to edit or delete submitted questions that raise any of these issues or that are not in the best interest of the Commonwealth or this Bid.

To locate Bid Q&A, log into COMMBUYS, locate the Bid, and select the tab for “Bid Q&A.”

Access the COMMBUYS Job Aid here: Using the Q&A Tab within a COMMBUYS Bid.

12. ESTIMATED PROCUREMENT CALENDAR

Event Date

RFR Release Date July 21, 2026

Deadline for Submission of Questions 5:00 pm on July 29, 2026

Application Due Date 5:00 pm on August 11, 2026

Anticipated Notification of Tentative Award September 29, 2026

Anticipated Contract Start Date October 1, 2026

Bidders are required to monitor COMMBUYS for changes to the procurement calendar for this Bid.

13. DEADLINE AND COMMBUYS REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBMISSION OF RESPONSE

Responses are due no later than 5:00 pm (EST) on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. All Responses to this Request for Responses must be submitted electronically via COMMBUYS, the Commonwealth’s electronic Market Center supporting online commerce between government purchasers and vendors. (ORI cannot accept Responses submitted by any other means.)

Bidders should carefully review the detailed Response requirements, including COMMBUYS Registration and Proposal Submission Requirements set forth in this RFR below, to ensure a complete submission.

https://www.mass.gov/info-details/using-the-qa-tab-within-a-commbuys-bid

SECTION 2. RFR - REQUIRED SPECIFICATIONS FOR PURCHASE OF SERVICE (POS) AND SMALL

BUSINESS PURCHASING PROGRAM

REQUIRED SPECIFICATIONS FOR POS

The following RFR provisions must appear in all Commonwealth competitive procurements conducted under 801 CMR 21.00. In general, most of the required contractual stipulations are referenced in the Standard Contract Form and Instructions and the Commonwealth Terms and Conditions for Human and Social Services (also referred to as Purchase of Service).

The terms of 801 CMR 21.00: Procurement of Commodities and Services and 808 CMR 1.00: Compliance, Reporting and Auditing for Human and Social Services, are incorporated by reference into this RFR. Words used in this RFR shall have the meanings defined in 801 CMR 21.00 and 808 CMR 1.00. Additional definitions may also be identified in this RFR. Other terms not defined elsewhere in this document may be defined in OSD’s Glossary of Terms. Unless otherwise specified in this RFR, all communications, responses, and documentation must be in English, and all cost proposals or figures in U.S. currency. All responses must be submitted in accordance with the specific terms of this RFR.

COMMBUYS Market Center.

COMMBUYS is the official source of information for this Bid and is publicly accessible at no charge at www.commbuys.com. Information contained in this document and in COMMBUYS, including file attachments and information contained in the related Bid Questions and Answers (Q&A), are all components of the Bid, as referenced in COMMBUYS, and are incorporated into the Bid and any resulting contract.

Bidders are solely responsible for obtaining all information distributed for this Bid via COMMBUYS. Bid Q&A supports Bidder submission of written questions associated with a Bid and publication of official answers.

It is each Bidder’s responsibility to check COMMBUYS for:

• Any amendments, addenda, or modifications to this Bid, and

• Any Bid Q&A records related to this Bid.

The Commonwealth accepts no responsibility and will provide no accommodation to Bidders who submit a Quote based on an out-of-date Bid or on information received from a source other than COMMBUYS.

COMMBUYS Registration. To respond to a Bid, Bidders must register and maintain an active COMMBUYS Seller account. Bidders may elect to obtain a free COMMBUYS Seller registration which provides value-added features, including automated email notification associated with postings and modifications to COMMBUYS records.

All Bidders submitting a Quote (previously referred to as Response) in response to this Bid (previously referred to as Solicitation) agree that, if awarded a contract: (1) they will maintain an active seller account in COMMBUYS; and (2) in the event the Commonwealth adopts an alternate market center system, successful Bidders will be required to utilize such system, as directed by the procuring entity.

Commonwealth Commodity Codes are based on the United Nations Standard Products and Services Code

(UNSPSC).

https://www.mass.gov/info-details/glossary-of-terms-for-osd http://www.commbuys.com/

COMMBUYS introduces new terminology, with which bidders must be familiar to conduct business with the Commonwealth. To view this terminology and to learn more about COMMBUYS, please visit the Learn about COMMBUYS page on www.mass.gov.

Multiple Quotes. Bidders may not submit Multiple Quotes in response to a Bid unless the RFR authorizes them to do so. If a Bidder submits multiple quotes in response to an RFR that does not authorize multiple responses, only the latest dated quote submitted prior to the bid opening date will be evaluated.

Quote Content. Bid specifications will prevail over any proposed Bidder terms entered as part of the Quote, unless otherwise specified in the Bid.

Supplier Diversity Program (SDP) for POS Contracts. Required for contracts with an estimated annual value greater than $250,000.00. As the contracts resulting form this RFR have a estimated value of less than $250,000.00, SDP requirements are not applicable.

Best Value Selection and Negotiation. The Procurement Management Team or PMT (also known as Strategic Sourcing Team or SST) may select the response(s) which demonstrates the best value overall, including proposed alternatives that will achieve the procurement goals of the department. If services are not rate regulated, the PMT and a selected bidder, or a contractor, may negotiate a change in any element of contract performance or cost identified in the original RFR or the selected bidder’s or contractor’s response, which results in a more cost effective or better value.

Bidder Communication. Bidders are prohibited from communicating directly with any employee of the procuring department or any member of the PMT regarding this RFR except as specified in this RFR, and no other individual Commonwealth employee or representative is authorized to provide any information or respond to any question or inquiry concerning this RFR. Bidders may contact the contact person for this RFR in the event this RFR is incomplete or the bidder is having trouble obtaining any required attachments electronically through COMMBUYS.

Contract Expansion. If additional funds become available during the contract duration period, the department reserves the right to increase the maximum obligation or the number of units purchased to some or all contracts executed as a result of this RFR or to execute contracts with contractors not funded in the initial selection process, subject to available funding, satisfactory contract performance, and service need.

Costs. Costs which are not specifically identified in the bidder’s response, and accepted by a department as part of a contract, will not be compensated under any contract awarded pursuant to this RFR. The Commonwealth will not be responsible for any costs or expenses incurred by bidders responding to this

RFR.

Debriefing. POS requirement only. Non-successful bidders may request a debriefing from the department that issued the RFR. Department debriefing procedures may be found in the RFR. Non-successful POS bidders aggrieved by the decision of a department must participate in a debriefing as a prerequisite to an administrative appeal.

Debriefing/Appeals: Administrative Appeals to Departments. POS requirement only. Non-successful bidders who participate in the debriefing process and remain aggrieved with the decision of the https://www.mass.gov/learn-about-commbuys-resources https://www.mass.gov/learn-about-commbuys-resources https://www.mass.gov/ https://www.mass.gov/ department may appeal that decision to the department head. Department appeal procedures may be found in the RFR.

Debriefing/Appeals: Administrative Appeals to OSD. POS requirement only. Non-successful bidders who participate in the department appeal process and remain aggrieved by the selection decision of the department may appeal the department decision to the Operational Services Division. The basis for an appeal to OSD is limited to the following grounds:

1. The competitive procurement conducted by the department failed to comply with applicable regulations and guidelines. These would be limited to the requirements of 801 CMR 21.00 or any successor regulations, the policies in the OSD Procurement Information Center, subsequent policies and procedures issued by OSD, and the specifications of the RFR; or

2. There was a fundamental unfairness in the procurement process. The allegation of unfairness or bias is one that is easier to allege than prove, consequently, the burden of proof rests with the bidder to provide sufficient and specific evidence in support of its claim. OSD will presume that departments conducted a fair procurement absent documentation to the contrary.

Requests for an appeal must be sent to the attention of the Operational Services Division, Legal and Compliance Office, Room 1608, One Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108 and be received within fourteen

(14) calendar days of the postmark of the notice of the department head’s decision on appeal. Appeal requests must specify in sufficient detail the basis for the appeal. Sufficient detail requires a description of the published policy or procedure which was applied and forms the basis for the appeal and presentation of all information that supports the claim under paragraphs 1 or 2 above. OSD reserves the right to reject appeal requests based on grounds other than those stated above or those submitted without sufficient detail on the basis for the appeal.

The decision of the Operational Services Division shall be rendered, in writing, setting forth the grounds for the decision within sixty (60) calendar days of receipt of the appeal request. Pending appeals to the Operational Services Division shall not prohibit the department from proceeding with executing contracts.

Electronic Communication/Update of Bidder’s/Contractor’s Contact Information. It is the responsibility of the prospective bidder and awarded contractor to keep current on COMMBUYS 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 PMT, including requests for clarification. The PMT 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 PMT to be lost or rejected by any means including email or spam filtering.

Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). All Bidders must agree to participate in the Commonwealth Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) program for receiving payments. Additional information about EFT is available on the Comptroller’s VendorWeb site located at: https://massfinance.state.ma.us/VendorWeb/vendor.asp.

Upon notification of award, Contractors are required to enroll in EFT by completing and submitting the “Authorization for Electronic Funds Payment Form” to the SST for review, approval, and forwarding to the Office of the Comptroller, unless already enrolled in EFT. A copy of the form will be supplied to the successful bidder upon award. This form, and all information contained on this form, shall not be considered a public record and shall not be subject to public disclosure through a public records request.

https://massfinance.state.ma.us/VendorWeb/vendor.asp

Executive Order 509, Establishing Nutrition Standards for Food Purchased and Served by State Agencies.

Food purchased and served by state agencies must comply with Executive Order 509, issued in January 2009. Under this Executive Order, all contracts resulting from procurements posted after July 1, 2009, that involve the purchase and provision of food must comply with nutrition guidelines established by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH). The nutrition guidelines are available at the Department’s website: Executive Order # 509 Guidance.

Filing Requirements. Successful bidders must have electronically uploaded their Uniform Financial Statements and Independent Auditor's Report (UFR), as required for current contractors, with the Operational Services Division to the UFR eFiling application for the most recently completed fiscal year before a contract may be executed and services begin. Other contractor qualification/risk management reporting requirements and non-filing consequences promulgated by secretariats or departments pursuant to 808 CMR 1.04(3) also may apply. In the event immediate services are required by a department, a contract may be executed and services may begin with the approval of OSD or the appropriate secretariat. However, unless authorized by OSD or the appropriate secretariat, the contractor will not be paid for any such services rendered until the UFR has been filed.

HIPAA: Business Associate Contractual Obligations. Bidders are notified that any department meeting the definition of a Covered Entity under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) will include in the RFR and resulting contract sufficient language establishing the successful bidder’s contractual obligations, if any, that the department will require to comply with HIPAA and the privacy and security regulations promulgated thereunder (45 CFR Parts 160, 162, and 164) (the Privacy and Security Rules). For example, if the department determines that the successful bidder is a business associate performing functions or activities involving protected health information, as such terms are used in the Privacy and Security Rules, then the department will include in the RFR and resulting contract a sufficient description of business associate’s contractual obligations regarding the privacy and security of the protected health information, as listed in 45 CFR 164.314 and 164.504 (e), including, but not limited to, the bidder's obligation to: implement administrative, physical, and technical safeguards that reasonably and appropriately protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the protected health information (in whatever form it is maintained or used, including verbal communications); provide individuals access to their records; and strictly limit use and disclosure of the protected health information for only those purposes approved by the department. Further, the department reserves the right to add any requirement during the course of the contract that it determines must be included in the contract to comply with the Privacy and Security Rules. Please see other sections of the RFR for further HIPAA details, if applicable.

Minimum Quote (Bid Response) Duration. Bidders’ Quotes made in response to this Bid must remain in effect for at least 90 days from the date of quote submission.

Public Records. All responses and information submitted in response to this RFR are subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, M.G.L., c. 66, s. 10, and to c. 4, s. 7, ss. 26. Any statements in submitted responses that are inconsistent with these statutes shall be disregarded.

Reasonable Accommodation. Bidders with disabilities or hardships that seek reasonable accommodation, which may include the receipt of RFR information in an alternative format, must communicate such requests in writing to the contact person. Requests for accommodation will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. A bidder requesting accommodation must submit a written statement which describes the https://www.mass.gov/executive-orders/no-509-establishing-nutrition-standards-for-food-purchased-and-served-by-state-agencies bidder’s disability and the requested accommodation to the contact person for the RFR. The PMT reserves the right to reject unreasonable requests.

Restriction on the Use of the Commonwealth Seal. Bidders and contractors are not allowed to display the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Seal in their bid package or subsequent marketing materials if they are awarded a contract, because use of the coat of arms and the Great Seal of the Commonwealth for advertising or commercial purposes is prohibited by law.

Subcontracting Policies. Prior approval of the department is required for any subcontracted service of the contract. Contractors are responsible for the satisfactory performance and adequate oversight of its subcontractors. Human and social service subcontractors also are required to meet the same state and federal financial and program reporting requirements and are held to the same reimbursable cost standards as contractors.

Workplace Violence Prevention and Crisis Response Plan. 101 CMR 19.00, Workplace Violence Prevention and Crisis Response Plan, governs the procedures and criteria for workplace violence prevention and response plans for programs that provide direct services to clients that are operated, licensed, certified, or funded by a department, commission, office, board, division, institution, or other entity within the Executive Office of Health and Human Services under M.G.L. c. 6A § 16. Any direct service program that contracts with the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) or the constituent agencies of EOHHS must comply with 101 CMR 19.00, including having a plan that meets the criteria set forth in 101 CMR 19.04, which is updated annually, available electronically, and provided to any human service worker upon request. The regulations and response plan guidelines are available at the following web site:

https://www.mass.gov/regulations/101-CMR-1900-workplace-violence-prevention-and-crisis-response-plan-0.

SMALL BUSINESS PURCHASING PROGRAM

A. Program Background

The Massachusetts Small Business Purchasing Program (SBPP) was established pursuant to Executive Order 599 to increase state contracting opportunities with small businesses having their principal place of business within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Pursuant to the SBPP, it is the intention of the issuing department to award this Small Procurement to one or more SBPP participating business(es) as described below.

B. SBPP Award Preference

While all businesses, no matter the size or principal place of business, may submit responses to this solicitation, should an SBPP participant respond and meet the best value criteria as described in this solicitation, the SBPP participant shall be awarded the contract. The Strategic Sourcing Services Team (SSST) will not evaluate submissions from non-SBPP participants unless no SBPP Bidder meets the SSST’s best value evaluation criteria.

C. SBPP Participation Eligibility

To be eligible to participate in this procurement as an SBPP participant, an entity must meet the following criteria, and be marked as an SBPP-registered business in COMMBUYS:

1. Have its principal place of business in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts;

2. Been in business for at least one year;

https://www.mass.gov/regulations/101-CMR-1900-workplace-violence-prevention-and-crisis-response-plan-0 https://www.mass.gov/regulations/101-CMR-1900-workplace-violence-prevention-and-crisis-response-plan-0 https://www.mass.gov/sbpp https://www.mass.gov/executive-orders/no-599-reaffirming-programs-to-ensure-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-for-diverse-and-small-massachusetts-businesses-in-state-procurement-and-contracting https://www.mass.gov/executive-orders/no-599-reaffirming-programs-to-ensure-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-for-diverse-and-small-massachusetts-businesses-in-state-procurement-and-contracting https://www.commbuys.com/bso/

3. Employ a combined total of 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees in all locations, or employees work less than a combined total of 26,000 hours per quarter; and

4. Have gross revenues, as reported on appropriate tax forms, of $15 million or less, based on a three-year average.

Non-profit firms also must be registered as a non-profit or charitable organization with the MA Attorney General’s Office and be up to date with all filings required by that office and be tax exempt under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code.

D. SBPP Compliance Requirements

It is the responsibility of the Bidder to ensure that their SBPP status is current at the time of submitting a response and throughout the life of any resulting contract. Misrepresentation of SBPP status will result in disqualification from consideration, and may result in debarment, contract termination, and other actions.

To learn more about the SBPP, including how to apply, visit the SBPP Webpage.

E. Program Resources and Assistance

Bidders and Contractors seeking assistance regarding SBPP may visit the SBPP webpage, http://www.mass.gov/sbpp, or contact the SBPP Help Desk at sbpp@mass.gov.

http://www.mass.gov/sbpp http://www.mass.gov/sbpp mailto:sbpp@mass.gov

SECTION 3. SFY 2027 CITIZENSHIP FOR NEW AMERICANS PROGRAM (CNAP) – TECHNICAL

ASSISTANCE - SCOPE OF SERVICES AND CNAP OBJECTIVES

1. GOALS OF CNAP TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SERVICES

The purpose of the Citizenship for New Americans Program (CNAP) is to assist eligible lawful permanent residents (LPRs) in Massachusetts become United States citizens. Citizenship bestows upon foreign-born individuals the right to fully participate in the civic and economic life in the United States. Due to the complexity of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) naturalization process—which requires English language proficiency, basic knowledge of U.S.

history and civics, accurate completion of a detailed multi-page application form and a successful interview with a USCIS official—many eligible individuals require assistance to accomplish the goal of becoming naturalized citizens of this country. CNAP provides citizenship application assistance and related supportive services from service providers within the CNAP network to lawful permanent residents (LPRs) navigating the process. ORI’s CNAP network comprises approximately fourteen refugee and immigrant-led community-based organizations located across the Commonwealth.

Under this Request for Responses (RFR), ORI seeks to fund technical assistance (TA) for providers of CNAP services. The CNAP TA services will both strengthen the knowledge of legal staff working at CNAP organizations and expand their legal staff capacity, so that CNAP providers are more equipped to guide lawful permanent residents (LPRs) through the path towards U.S. citizenship.

This RFR seeks to engage a single contractor to provide CNAP TA services to the CNAP network of community-based organizations. As specified below, the CNAP TA provider will provide the following services: 1) Department of Justice (DOJ) Recognition and Accreditation supportive services; 2) CNAP Repository; 3) Legal Support for CNAP Cases, Federal Policy Updates, Trainings, and Resources; 4) Other Services; and 5) Partnership Development. The CNAP TA does not provide direct citizenship services to clients through this engagement.

2. CNAP ORGANIZATIONS SERVED THROUGH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SERVICES

The CNAP TA provider supports CNAP’s network of community-based organizations (descriptions available on ORI’s website) with technical assistance. To be eligible to receive technical assistance services in CNAP, the CNAP providers must be 501 (c) (3) non-profit entities with approved CNAP contracts with the Office for Refugees and Immigrants (ORI). As CNAP providers, these organizations provide citizenship application assistance and related supportive services to eligible LPRs residing in Massachusetts.

Additionally, CNAP providers must be authorized to provide CNAP services, either as an organization recognized by the Department of Justice (DOJ)’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) to provide legal services, or by having their own licensed immigration attorney on-staff or otherwise engaged for legal oversight.

The selected Bidder under this RFR will respond to and support these CNAP service providers with https://www.mass.gov/info-details/ori-community-partners-directory https://www.mass.gov/info-details/ori-community-partners-directory technical assistance, as defined in this RFR.

3. TARGETED BIDDERS

The targeted bidders for this procurement are bidders who:

1. Have at least one immigration attorney in good standing and authorized to practice law in Massachusetts;

2. Have experience with the Department of Justice (DOJ)-EOIR processes for accreditation and recognition;

3. Currently deliver or have significant experience delivering services to lawful permanent residents (LPRs) in becoming naturalized United States citizens or in attaining derivative citizenship;

4. Keep abreast of changes to immigration policies/regulations, especially pertaining to the Application for Naturalization (N-400) and Application for Certificate of Citizenship (N- 600);

5. Can provide training services and technical assistance to diverse refugee and immigrant-led community-based organizations located throughout Massachusetts;

and

6. Have extensive networks at the local, state, regional, and national levels.

Additionally, ORI may give a preference in its evaluation to Bidders that can identify and commit to supplementing CNAP TA contracted services with additional third-party funds, raised by the organization, to support the broader mission of CNAP TA services and enhance the impact of CNAP services overall to both CNAP service providers and LPRs applying for U.S. citizenship.

4. SCOPE OF SERVICES

The purpose of the CNAP TA services is to strengthen the knowledge of legal staff working at CNAP organizations and expand their legal staff capacity, so that CNAP service providers are more equipped to guide LPRs through the challenging path of attaining U.S. citizenship.

The bidder awarded a contract under this RFR must agree to deliver the following CNAP TA services. These services, altogether, aim to enhance CNAP overall and aid CNAP organizations in meeting the primary purpose of CNAP—to assist eligible LPRs residing in Massachusetts with applying for U.S. citizenship.

Essential Activities - CNAP Technical Assistance:

A. Department of Justice (DOJ) Recognition and Accreditation Supportive Services

Bidder must assist CNAP providers with applying for and maintaining DOJ recognition and accreditation (R&A) status, as needed, which may include:

• Providing training about the DOJ recognition and/or accreditation process to CNAP providers, and any changes related to the process.

• Providing training about G-28 (Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative) to CNAP service providers.

• Providing access to the overview of immigration law training to new staff at CNAP providers. A limited number of additional training topics will be offered to CNAP providers.

• Surveying the CNAP providers on an annual basis to understand their needs with keeping their DOJ recognition and accreditation credentials active, sending reminders to CNAP organizations on the renewal process, and reporting to ORI on the progress in the semi-annual report and/or upon request.

• Providing other supportive services as applicable (e.g., guidance on extending DOJ recognition beyond one office location for a CNAP organization).

• As funding allows and depending on the future design of the CNAP program, the TA provider may in SFY 2028 or subsequent years be requested to expand CNAP training services to include full DOJ accreditation opportunities for legal staff at CNAP organizations.

B. CNAP Repository

Bidder must develop and maintain an online repository that contains recorded trainings, resources and educational materials related to citizenship and immigration topics. The online repository serves as a centralized space for both archived and new materials, and is accessible to both ORI and CNAP service providers. The online repository should be available only to CNAP providers.

Bidder will take into consideration the language needs of the training and resource materials housed in the online repository.

C. Legal Support for CNAP Cases, Federal Policy Updates, Trainings, and Resources

Bidder will serve as a resource for CNAP providers, including case consultations and trainings.

Bidder must provide updates on federal policy changes to CNAP providers as they relate to citizenship services, provide training on pertinent topics affecting naturalization (including derivative citizenship), and offer legal analysis and related resources (e.g., accessing information on citizenship court cases) on case consult inquiries.

CNAP organizations may contact the bidder via phone call, email, virtual meeting, or in-person appointment. As CNAP providers (including those with DOJ accreditation) rely on the CNAP TA provider for guidance, the bidder will ensure that legal guidance is communicated in an accessible and clear manner, and will be available for questions and clarifications as necessary. Bidder will take into consideration the response time when replying to inquiries from CNAP service providers and the dissemination of time-sensitive federal policy changes to the CNAP network.

Training format for citizenship-related topics must be conducted in hybrid mode (i.e., both in-person and virtual format) to increase flexibility for CNAP organizations located in different regions of the Commonwealth. Bidder will also design and conduct surveys/evaluations during the fiscal year to better understand training and technical assistance needs from CNAP service providers. Training topics may include but are not limited to: Application for Naturalization (Form N-400), Application for Certificate of Citizenship (Form N-600), Request for Fee Waiver (Form I- 912), Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions (Form N-648), public charge, and additional forms and/or topics as applicable.

D. Other Services

Bidder must provide other services to assist CNAP organizations in troubleshooting issues related to citizenship application submissions to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), especially for the most vulnerable and/or complex citizenship cases. Additionally, bidder must compile and maintain a current resource list of qualified legal/immigration providers and attorneys in Massachusetts and make this list available to ORI and CNAP providers upon request.

Other required services include without limit:

• Actively participating in ORI statewide meetings, especially CNAP events, on matters relating to the citizenship process, and assisting ORI in planning statewide/regional meetings.

• Responding to inquiries from ORI regarding immigration and citizenship related issues and/or time-sensitive requests.

• Meeting regularly with ORI to plan and discuss progress of technical assistance services provided to the CNAP network and/or share progress updates on specific requests.

• Providing other services as applicable.

E. Partnership Development

Advancing the goal of helping lawful permanent residents (LPRs) in Massachusetts apply for U.S.

citizenship requires attentiveness towards emerging issues affecting this population and having appropriate community infrastructure to effectively address the emerging needs, especially at local levels.

As federal policy changes affecting LPRs (also known as green card holders) emerge on a continuing basis, the chosen Bidder, in the capacity as the CNAP TA provider, will be required to continuously update the technical assistance services to better meet the needs and requirements of CNAP TA services, and enhance the support to CNAP service providers assisting green card holders. The development of partnerships at the local, state, regional, or national level may be necessary to facilitate a greater understanding of these emerging issues, help augment the solution-finding process, and identify new best practices.

Examples of issues needing partnership development may include, but are not limited to:

• Recent significant policy changes resulting in changes to the citizenship application process, requiring additional/new support as needed (e.g., Boston-based LPR clients scheduled for biometrics appointments outside of Massachusetts, such as Rhode Island or New Hampshire).

• Collaborate with CNAP organizations and other entities to conduct pre-citizenship related activities with LPR clients in Massachusetts, on an as needed basis, with the aim of identifying future cohorts and assessing their readiness in applying for citizenship services.

• Collaborate with CNAP organizations and other entities to support organizations as they address post-citizenship related activities, on an as needed basis, with a focus on the revocation of citizenship to help LPR applicants understand the requirements involved at the time that they apply for U.S. citizenship (including individuals who apply for derivative citizenship).

• Partner with stakeholders to advance the needs of Massachusetts-based LPRs applying for citizenship (e.g., entities serving older adult populations), on an as needed basis.

• Collaborate with stakeholders to increase access to legal counsel services for complex citizenship cases, especially for the most vulnerable LPR clients, on an as needed basis.

Access to legal representation may include, but is not limited to: Working with attorneys with active status to practice immigration law in Massachusetts and the attorneys have no disciplinary records; working with DOJ accredited representatives registered with the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR); working with law school students and graduates not yet admitted to the bar but who are operating under the supervision and guidance of a licensed immigration attorney, law school faculty, or another appropriate legal authority.

• Collaborate with stakeholders to increase capacity in providing technical assistance services to CNAP organizations (e.g., deploying volunteers).

• Collaborate with management staff at CNAP organizations, on an as needed basis, to address sustainability issues related to staff participation in the partial and full accreditation process (e.g., establishing an agreement regarding the retention of legal staff after partial or full accreditation is achieved to increase legal capacity at their respective CNAP organizations and reduce disruption in the delivery of legal services to CNAP clients). This collaboration needs to identify ways to retain newly approved DOJ accredited representatives for a reasonable and agreeable period of time at their participating CNAP organizations.

Bidder may use train-the-trainer model, or other models as appropriate, to provide the above technical assistance services to CNAP service providers, as long as the needs of CNAP organizations are taken into consideration.

5. PROGRAM OUTCOMES AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES

The contract awarded will include a document to measure performance (Attachment 2:

Performance Measures of the Standard Service Contract). The SFY2027 CNAP TA Performance Outcomes may include the following:

• Number of CNAP providers contacting CNAP TA Provider who receive technical assistance support via phone, email, virtual meeting, or in person contact

• Number of CNAP providers assisted by CNAP TA Provider to become accredited (partial or full) by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) – Office of Legal Access Programs

• Number of meetings supported

• Number of meetings organized

• Number of trainings provided about citizenship and immigration topics

• Number of trainings provided about Department of Justice (DOJ) recognition and/or accreditation

• Number of trainings provided about G-28 (Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative)

• Number of providers filing G-28 with N-400 and N-600 applications

• Number of providers contacting CNAP TA Provider for technical assistance

• Number of online repository developed and managed to keep recorded trainings and materials relating to citizenship and immigration, and is accessible by ORI and CNAP providers

• Number of providers achieving and/or maintaining Department of Justice (DOJ) recognition and/or accreditation

Unless specified by ORI, Bidders must provide specific goals (target numbers and percentages) for each required outcome described above. They must identify, in numbers and percentages, the results they intend to accomplish for each benchmark.

ORI reserves the right to review program outcomes and performance metrics during the procurement cycle and modify them based on changing needs in the technical assistance services, as needed.

6. PROGRAM EVALUATION & MONITORING

The CNAP Technical Assistance provider will be responsible for evaluating the progress and effectiveness of their services on an on-going basis. Evaluations must include measuring program effectiveness against established performance outcomes, as well as recording of informal feedback obtained from CNAP providers and their program staff. ORI will evaluate services provided through analysis of program reports, fiscal reviews and monitoring site visits to observe program activities and review records.

The CNAP TA award recipient will be monitored on an annual and as needed basis by ORI staff, both programmatically and financially, to ensure compliance with program requirements and performance expectations.

Monitoring is accomplished through desk-based reviews and on-site monitoring visits.

Monitoring will involve the review and analysis of the financial, programmatic, performance, compliance and administrative processes, policies, and activities and will identify areas where technical assistance, corrective actions, and other support may be needed.

7. PROVIDER RESPONSIBILITIES

The CNAP TA Provider is required to meet the contractual obligations of the CNAP Technical

Assistance Contract. This includes staying within the scope of services and achievement of contracted performance goals. Non-compliance with the scope of services may trigger a Notice of Non-compliance and/or corrective action, which may result in a contract reduction and/or termination.

8. ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES

• Awarded grantee must have attorney(s) in good standing who are authorized to practice immigration law in Massachusetts, and have no disciplinary records. Proof of status must be submitted to ORI.

• Awarded grantee must communicate any changes in staffing during the fiscal year to the CNAP Program Coordinator at ORI within five (5) business days.

• Awarded grantee must ensure accessibility to persons with disabilities in compliance with governing ADA laws.

• Awarded grantee must not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.

• Awarded grantee (management and staff dedicated to the project) must attend and participate in all regularly scheduled ORI Provider meetings and/or conference calls.

• Awarded grantee must follow ORI policies and procedures when hosting and organizing ORI sponsored citizenship workshops.

• Awarded grantee must promptly respond to inquiries made by the Grantor (ORI).

• Awarded grantee must promptly communicate with the ORI CNAP Program Coordinator in the event that the Grantee determines obstacles for meeting the CNAP TA Contract requirements (which can include changes in staff, long-term organizational closure, emergency event or other issues impacting service delivery).

9. OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

The following requirements will apply to the provision of CNAP TA services, as supplemented through the additional contract requirements provided with each yearly contract.

A. Culturally and Linguistically Compatible Services

Funded grantees must provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services to clients as required by Title VI (Prohibition Against National Origin Discrimination) and of Civil Rights Act and state law.

All vital documents which can include written policies and forms should be available in the client's primary language. Vital documents include the following: a) documents that require client signature; b) documents that explain program services; c) documents that explain client rights and responsibilities; d) documents that provide notice in change of benefits or opportunity for hearings.

B. Access for Disabled Clients

In accordance with state and federal law, contracted service providers are required to ensure accessibility to all clients. Contracted service providers should adopt and operationalize policies to enable people with disabilities, including those who have mobility, vision, hearing, cognitive disabilities, mental illness, or other disabilities, to equitably access service provisions. Service provision enhancements must include and address physical access, and/or indicate use of interpreters, translators or assistive technology. Contracted service providers may enable access supports to persons with disabilities by providing referral to appropriate service entities including but not limited to the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, MassAbility (formerly known as the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission) or by contacting the Massachusetts Office for Disability. Additionally, funded grantees may obtain additional technical assistance and supports from the ORI’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator.

If an undue financial and/or administrative burden prevents them from carrying out this activity in a disabled-ready location, service providers must take additional actions to ensure that individuals with disabilities receive the same benefits and services of the program activity directly, or by referring and arranging transportation services for disabled clients to receive the same services from another provider in the same area.

C. Addressing Barriers for Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBTQ) Clients

LGBTQ clients have unique needs that can impact their ability to achieve and maintain economic self-sufficiency and community integration. Contracted CNAP TA service provider is required to equip staff to sensitively and compassionately assist all clients including those who identify as LGBTQ, to access appropriate services in order to achieve successful integration.

D. Hours of Operations and Staffing of Program Site

The contracted program is expected to maintain regular daily hours of operation that is posted to the public, with additional evening/weekend services available, as needed. CNAP TA service provider shall provide ORI with a copy of its typical hours of operation.

E. Meetings, Trainings, and Other Activities with ORI

Program supervisor and staff assigned to the CNAP TA contract must attend and participate in all applicable ORI conference calls, meetings, trainings, monitoring visits and/or activities scheduled during the contract year. This includes ORI CNAP Program Coordinator’s site visits to provide technical assistance and to ensure contract compliance.

As these meetings are mandatory under this contract, CNAP award recipient’s attendance is required even if it has achieved its annual goal early. Failure to comply with this requirement may impact future funding consideration.

F. Minimum Performance Requirements

Performance will be evaluated on a quarterly and semi-annual basis for performance outcomes reported to date. ORI may impose corrective action, with a timeline for improvement, at the end of any quarter or semi-annual basis in which a CNAP TA provider’s performance is not on track to meet their annual goals, as reflected in their Annual Performance Measures (Attachment 2).

ORI reserves the right to de-obligate funds from a Provider’s contract, as needed, should performance falls below 75% of planned goals, or if a provider’s performance indicates they are unable to fully bill for 100% of the grant by the close of the fiscal year.

G. Reporting Requirements

The contracted service provider is required to adhere to…