SOI 1260 NY Kicks FINAL.pdf

SOI 1260 NY Kicks

Title: Solicitation of Interest (SOI) 1260

NY Kicks

Agency: Children & Family Services, NYS Office of Bureau of Contract Management

Term: Beginning no earlier than 6/1/2026 and ending no later than 12/31/2026

Location: Statewide

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

EVENT DATE

Date of issue June 11, 2026

Deadline for submission of written questions June 24, 2026 by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Responses to written questions posted (on or about) July 3, 2026

Deadline for submission of applications July 17, 2026 by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Background

The New York State Office of Children & Family Services (OCFS) announces a Solicitation of Interest (SOI) for qualified entities to participate in the NY Kicks Program.

The arrival of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in New York presents an opportunity for the state to translate this historic event into enduring community value, and to support our youngest New Yorkers in growing a lifelong love of sports. As part of the FIFA World Cup festivities across New York, Governor Hochul will launch NY Kicks: A World Cup Legacy Investment Fund. Please see the Eligibility Criteria section for additional information.

NY Kicks will focus on disadvantaged communities, and through the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) the initiative will provide operating funding to empower local governments and community-based organizations to improve mental health and well-being in children and young adults up through age 26, enabling them to build social skills, confidence, and connections to the local community. Recipients will be eligible for operating awards to fund programming, equipment, training, and other needs to maximize the impact of new soccer facilities delivered by NY Kicks. Please see the Scope of Work section for additional information.

The purpose of this solicitation is to invite any eligible and interested entities that believe they satisfy the requirements of this program to inform OCFS by submitting an application.

To be considered responsive, your organization’s application should be received no later than the deadline specified on the first page of this announcement.

OCFS intends to fund multiple qualified organizations based on the criteria outlined in this announcement. Please see the How to Respond section for additional information and submission requirements.

Scope of Work

To encourage participation in the NY Kicks Program, individual awards will be limited to a minimum of $2,000 and a maximum award of $10,000 to pay for an applicant’s requested and approved eligible operating expenses.

NY Kicks is aimed to fund soccer programming, equipment, training, and other eligible operating costs in disadvantaged communities across each region of the state to strengthen neighborhoods and bring people together through a shared love of the game.

Eligible Expenses

Operating expenses incurred after June 1, 2026, to support youth soccer, including but not limited to:

• Routine maintenance of soccer fields (e.g., mowing, grooming, cleaning, or line painting).

• Ongoing repairs of soccer fields (e.g., re-sodding, topdressing, or surface leveling).

• Staff, coaching, referees, custodial, ground crew, or administrative salaries.

• Programmatic costs, league fees, or tournament expenses, excluding travel-related costs.

• Equipment that is not permanently affixed, including portable goal posts.

• Program supplies (e.g., uniforms, cleats, socks, shin guards, balls, ball pumps, scrimmage vests, cones and markers, or other training equipment).

• Other costs for operating expenses or program delivery that are not explicitly prohibited below, as deemed eligible by OCFS during application review.

Ineligible Expenses

• Capital costs include site preparation, demolition, or construction costs related to the completion of a new or upgraded soccer field.

• Permanent soccer field infrastructure (e.g., goal posts, bleachers, lighting, or fences).

• Utility infrastructure directly related to the operation of the soccer field (e.g., wiring for stadium lights).

• Paving or construction costs for parking lots or driveways.

• Land acquisition costs.

• Vehicles.

• Lease payments or rent.

• Playgrounds, concession stands, recreational features, or otherwise eligible expenses as listed above that are unrelated to youth soccer.

• Travel costs.

• Costs incurred prior to June 1, 2026.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible applicants must satisfy the following criteria:

• Be authorized to do business in the State of New York.

• Be one of the following entity types:

o Municipality: defined as a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. Examples include self-governing local town, city or district.

o Public Authority: defined as a government-created, semi-autonomous organization or official body with the legal power to manage public infrastructure, administer services, or enforce regulations. Examples include Local economic or housing development corporations.

o Not-for-Profit Organizations, including youth soccer clubs or leagues.

Funding Details

Awards will be limited to requests between a minimum of $2,000 and a maximum of $10,000. All funds must be used to reimburse eligible operating expenses. Applications may be awarded at the full amount of the request or at a partial amount, depending on the recommendations of the evaluation team, the number of eligible parties that respond to this solicitation, and the availability of funds in the state and/or federal budgets.

Applicants may submit only one application and receive only one award. If multiple applications are received, only the last application received will be reviewed.

Priority consideration will be given to applications serving youth in Economically Distressed Areas. Economically Distressed Areas shall be based on metrics such as population loss, unemployment rate compared to the State’s rate, private sector employment rate compared to the State’s rate, percentage of households receiving public assistance, poverty rate, per capital income rate, and other factors considered by Empire State Development (ESD). The levels that correspond to the Economically Distressed Areas are identified in the Economically Distressed Area (Census Tract) Map. Please refer to the Census Tract Map for additional information regarding the economically distressed areas and where they are located.

Reimbursements will be authorized with the approval of a submitted AC 3253-S, Claim for Payment, and acceptable supporting documentation (such as receipts, invoices, payroll records, copies of subcontracts, etc.) that the eligible operating expenses were incurred within the Term of the Agreement.

Term of Agreement

Awards in response to this solicitation are anticipated to begin no earlier than June 1, 2026, and end no later than December 31, 2026. The notification of an award does not guarantee funding will be available. OCFS has no obligation to pay for services rendered before New York State approves the Agreement.

https://sharegisny.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=7fddbadafae44fa49b39f5b339eada7c

How to Respond

To be considered responsive, interested parties should complete and submit all required documents in conformance with the format and content requirements as explained in this document. A response that does not provide all the information requested may be subject to rejection. The response should contain sufficient information to assure OCFS of its accuracy. The information provided should, wherever possible, verify your organization meets the requirements in the Eligibility Criteria section of this solicitation.

Responses must be emailed to funding@ocfs.ny.govand received by the due date and time specified on the first page of this announcement.

Interested parties must complete and provide:

• Attachment 1 – Application and Budget Request Form

Additionally, the Substitute W-9 should also be completed and provided in your response, if your organization does not have a SFS vendor ID.

The subject line of the email submission of your response should include the following information: SOI 1260 NY Kicks.

Additionally, please clearly identify your organization’s name in the file names of attached documents to ensure your submission is processed efficiently.

Applicants must use Attachment 1 – Application and Budget Request Form, that’s provided. Late responses will be rejected.

Email delivery or read receipts are recommended. OCFS will provide a confirmation email that the submission has been received. Applicants are responsible for contacting OCFS prior to the deadline if confirmation has not been received. OCFS will not be liable for any costs incurred by interested parties in the preparation of documents submitted in response to this solicitation. Vendors may modify or withdraw, in writing, the content of any submission at any time prior to the due date and time specified on page one of this announcement.

Questions

Questions should be submitted via email to funding@ocfs.ny.govprior to the due date and time specified on the first page of this announcement. The subject line should include the following information: SOI 1260 NY Kicks. Please submit your question(s) with adequate time for response. Late questions may not be addressed.

Answers to all questions will be provided to all applicants in the form of a question and answer document to be posted to the NYS Contract Reporter (https://www.nyscr.ny.gov/) and OCFS funding opportunities page (https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/contracts/funding/) on or about the date specified in the Calendar of Events on the first page of this announcement and will not identify the applicant asking the question.

mailto:funding@ocfs.ny.gov https://www.nyscr.ny.gov/ https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/contracts/funding/

Under the requirement of the Procurement Lobbying Act, all communications regarding advertised projects are to be channeled only through the primary contact identified herein.

Evaluation Process

An internal review by OCFS will confirm eligibility. This solicitation is not a guarantee or promise funding. Available funding to support this initiative will be limited to the amount(s) appropriated in the enacted budget for this purpose and will be awarded to those interested organizations that are deemed to meet the eligibility requirements and are determined by OCFS to be suited for the program.

OCFS will rank and fund applications in the following manner:

1. Applications will be sorted by the level of economic distress depicted by the

Economically Distressed Area Census Tract in which their service area is located.

2. Applications will then be funded in the order received in the Severely Destressed category first, followed by the Moderately Distressed category, then the Slightly Distressed category will be funded last.

3. Awards will be made until all available funding is exhausted.

4. In the event a funding decision results in a tie between two or more applications, the application received by OCFS first will be funded. Should all applications in the Severely, Moderately, and Slightly Distressed categories be awarded, OCFS reserves the right to fund the Not Distressed category in the order applications were received.

OCFS may require additional information from an organization before deciding whether the interested organization is eligible. If OCFS requests additional information, it must be provided within three (3) business days from request or as otherwise directed in the request.

Upon determination of eligibility, OCFS will notify eligible organizations of their status and the proposed award amount (if any).

Register for the NYS Statewide Financial System

• To receive payments from New York State, vendors must be registered in the NYS Statewide Financial System (SFS) and have an SFS Vendor Identification Number.

• If you have previously registered and do not know your username, email HelpDesk@sfs.ny.gov. If you do not know your password, click the Forgot Password link from the main login page and follow the prompts.

OCFS Reserved Rights

OCFS reserves the right to withdraw, amend, or postpone this solicitation, without notice and without liability, to any applicant or other party, and may exercise these rights at any time. In addition, OCFS reserves the right to:

https://sharegisny.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=7fddbadafae44fa49b39f5b339eada7c mailto:HelpDesk@sfs.ny.gov https://esupplier.sfs.ny.gov/psc/passwd/SUPPLIER/ERP/c/MAINTAIN_SECURITY.EMAIL_PSWD.GBL

• place a monetary cap on the funding amount made in each award.

• change any of the schedule dates stated in the solicitation.

• make an award under this solicitation in whole or in part.

• disqualify any applicant whose conduct and/or response fails to conform to the requirements of this solicitation.

• reject any response if, in the sole discretion of OCFS, it determines the applicant is not a responsible vendor.

• request all applicants who submitted responses to present supplemental information clarifying their proposals either in writing or by formal presentation.

• direct all organizations who submitted responses to prepare modifications addressing solicitation amendments.

• make funding decisions that address and maximize compliance with the outcomes identified in this solicitation.

• fund only one portion, or selected activities, of the selected applicant’s response and/or adopt all or part of the selected applicant’s response based on federal and state requirements.

• eliminate any solicitation requirements unmet by all applicants, upon notice to all parties that submitted responses.

• waive procedural technicalities, or modify minor irregularities, in responses received, after notification to the applicant involved.

• correct any arithmetic errors in any proposal, or make typographical corrections to responses, with the concurrence of the applicant.

• negotiate with the eligible applicant(s) prior to award.

• require that all responses be held valid for a minimum of 365 days from the closing date for receipt of applications, unless otherwise expressly provided for in writing.

• fund any or all of the responses received in response to this solicitation. However, issuance of this solicitation does not commit OCFS to fund any proposals. OCFS can reject any proposals submitted.

• make inquiries of third parties, including but not limited to applicant’s references, regarding the applicant’s experience or other matters deemed relevant by OCFS. By submitting a response to this solicitation, the applicant gives its consent to any inquiry made by OCFS; and

• require awardees to participate in a formal evaluation of the program to be developed by OCFS, where applicable. Awardees may be required to collect data for these purposes. The evaluation design will maintain participants’ confidentiality and recognize practical constraints of collecting this kind of information; and

• reject any extraneous terms, alternate activities/work to be performed, added conditions, or exceptions stated by applicants within their response. This includes, but is not limited to, proposed changes to the standard terms and conditions of the resulting agreement(s).

Award Documents

By submitting a response to this solicitation, the respondent agrees with all terms and conditions of the State of New York Appendix A.

The agreement will consist of the following:

1. New York State Purchase Order

2. Appendix A

3. Attachment 1 – Application and Budget Request Form

Contact Information

Primary contact:

Director of Contracts Office of Children & Family Services 52 Washington Street Room 202S – Procurement Unit Rensselaer, NY 12144 funding@ocfs.ny.gov

Submit to contact:

Director of Contracts Office of Children & Family Services 52 Washington Street Room 202S – Procurement Unit Rensselaer, NY 12144 funding@ocfs.ny.gov

Attachments

Please see the following attachments to this announcement, which are available on the New York State Contract Reporter website at https://www.nyscr.ny.gov/ or the OCFS website at https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/contracts/funding/

• Attachment 1* – Application and Budget Request Form

* Required attachments must be completed and included with your response submission.

https://www.nyscr.ny.gov/ https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/contracts/funding/