SOI 1266 Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (Round 1.2) FINAL.pdf

SOI 1266 Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (Round 1.2)

Title: Solicitation of Interest (SOI) 1266 Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (Round 1.2)

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

Contract Number: TBD

Contract term: Up to 1 year beginning no earlier than 11/1/2026 and no later than 2/28/2027

Location: Statewide (Excluding the five boroughs of New York City)

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

EVENT DATE

Date of issue 8/24/2026

Deadline for submission of written questions 9/4/2026 by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Responses to written questions posted (on or about) 9/14/2026

Application submission period opens

(Online administrative form becomes available) 9/14/2026

Deadline for submission of applications 9/28/2026 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 Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) (https://imaginationlibrary.com/). The Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a community-based program mailing free, high-quality, age-appropriate books to registered children from birth until their 5th birthday. Please see the Eligibility Criteria section for additional information.

This advertisement is public notice that OCFS is seeking to contract with organizations to provide financial assistance to allow additional organizations to participate in the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library as new Local Program Partners and for established Program Partners to be able to increase their enrolled members in existing coverage areas and/or expand into new areas to provide one (1) high-quality, age-appropriate book per month to children from birth until their 5th birthday, free of charge. 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 can satisfy this program’s needs to inform OCFS by submitting an application. To be considered responsive, your organization’s Attachment 1 – Application Form 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 https://imaginationlibrary.com/ announcement. Please see the How to Respond section for additional information and submission requirements.

Scope of Work

Individual grants to encourage participation in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program will be limited to a maximum of $50,000 to pay up to 50% of a Local Program Partner’s cost from the Imagination Library. Local Program Partners will enroll children within their selected coverage area and pay, on average, $2.60 per child/per month towards wholesale book and mailing costs, the grant can be used to fund up to 50% of these monthly costs that the Local Program Partners incur. Additional program details that must be followed can be found on the DPIL website and in your Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with DPIL.

Eligibility Criteria

Interested parties who meet the following criteria are eligible to respond:

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

• Have a MOA with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) to serve NYS youth for participation as a Local Program Partner in the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at the time of application, or agree to obtain one within 60 days, if selected for award.

• Are either a New York State (NYS) 501(c)(3) library, public library system, or not-for-profit organization OR a NYS school district or board of cooperative educational services (BOCES) excluding the five boroughs of New York City*

• If the entity is a non-profit organization, they must be prequalified in the New York State Finance System (SFS), if not exempt, at the time of application.

o For additional information regarding the prequalification process, please refer to the Prequalification Process section below.

Awardees from Round 1 of OCFS DPIL solicitation (SOI 1234) can only apply if they have not been funded at the maximum amount during Round 1 or have more than one MOA or Sub MOA with DPIL that has not already been funded at the maximum amount awarded during round 1.

* For entities serving the five boroughs of New York City, see SOI 1276 Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in New York City on the OCFS Website.

Funding Details

Grant awards will be limited to a minimum of $2,000 and a maximum of $50,000. All grant funds must be used to pay towards the monthly costs billed by the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. Bids may be funded at the full amount of the request or at a partial amount, depending on the recommendations of the evaluation team and the availability of funds. Approved applicants are required to match dollar for dollar the funds awarded, with OCFS providing no more than 50% of the funds required for the applicant to participate in this program.

Funding for this project is contingent upon the availability of funds in the state and/or https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/contracts/funding/ federal budgets and the number of interested and eligible parties that respond to this solicitation.

Release of the total award is authorized with the approval of a submitted AC 3253-S, Claim for Payment with acceptable documentation that the required matching funds are on deposit with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

Within 30 days of the grant award payment, grantees must submit acceptable documentation showing the full grant award paid was deposited to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. Grantees must also submit a final report once all grant funds are expended or at the end of the grant period, but no later than 9/5/2028.

Term of Contract

Contract(s) awarded in response to this solicitation are anticipated to be for up to one (1) year. The contract is anticipated to begin no earlier than November 1, 2026, and no later than February 28, 2027. The award of a contract does not guarantee funding will be available. Contractors may not begin providing services before the contract start date;

OCFS has no obligation to pay for services rendered before New York State approves the contract.

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.

Application submission for this SOI will occur in two steps:

➢ Step 1: Applicants must first complete the online administrative form, which begins the application process. The information required is specified below. The completion of Step 1 generates an application number and gathers required information for each application. Upon completion and submission of the online administrative form, applicants will receive a confirmation email from funding@ocfs.ny.gov providing their application number and instructing them as to next steps in the submission process.

o Completion of this form is required for each application submitted.

o A link to this form will be posted to the OCFS Funding Opportunities Page

(https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/contracts/funding) and the NYS Contract Reporter (https://www.nyscr.ny.gov/Account/Login) on or about the date specified in the Calendar of Events on the first page of this procurement. It will also be included in the Questions and Answers document when it is posted.

o Responses marked as required must be answered, or the online administrative form will not allow you to submit.

o If you do not receive an automatic confirmation email from funding@ocfs.ny.gov with your application number shortly after the submission of your online mailto:funding@ocfs.ny.gov https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/contracts/funding https://www.nyscr.ny.gov/Account/Login mailto:funding@ocfs.ny.gov administrative form, please check your spam folder. After confirming the confirmation email was not properly received, please contact OCFS for assistance.

➢ Step 2: After completing Step 1, applicants should reply to the confirmation email to attach and submit all required application documents specified below to complete their application process. All required documents must be submitted to funding@ocfs.ny.gov or the application submission will be considered incomplete.

Both Step 1 and Step 2 must be completed, or the application will not be considered by OCFS to be properly received.

o Confirm that the applicant’s legal name, address, and application number appear in the body of your email submission.

o DO NOT alter the subject line of the email.

o Attach all supporting documents to your email submission.

o All required supporting documentation must be submitted to funding@ocfs.ny.gov or your application may be disqualified.

o If the size of your application requires files to be sent in multiple emails, indicate the email number in the body of the email, e.g., “email submission 2 of 2.”

o No facsimile or hard copy applications will be accepted.

Applicants are responsible for verifying all documents are complete, correct, viewable, and comply with the requirements of this SOI. Failure to submit the required documentation outlined below may result in the disqualification of your application.

Interested parties must complete and provide:

• Attachment 1 – Application Form

• Attachment 2 – NYS Grants for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Participation Certification

• Copy of your MOA with Dollywood for participation as a Local Program Partner in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (if available)

Additionally, the following documents should also be completed and provided in your response, otherwise they may be required post-award during the contract development process:

• OCFS-4821, CMS User Authorization (if new or additional users are needed)

• OCFS-3460, Minority- and Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Statement

• Substitute W-9 (only required if your organization does not have a SFS vendor ID)

• NYS Required Forms

The subject line of the email submission of your response should include the following information: SOI 1266 Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (Round 1.2).

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

https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/Forms/Contracts/OCFS-4821%20Contract%20Management%20System%20(CMS)%20Authorization%20Form.dot http://ocfs.ny.gov/main/Forms/Contracts/OCFS-3460.docx http://ocfs.ny.gov/main/Forms/Contracts/OCFS-3460.docx https://www.osc.ny.gov/files/vendors/2017-11/vendor-form-ac3237s-fe.pdf https://ocfs.ny.gov/forms/nys/NYS-Required-Forms.pdf https://ocfs.ny.gov/forms/nys/NYS-Required-Forms.pdf

Please use Arial 12-point font, single line spacing and one-inch margins. Applicants must use Attachment 1 – Application Form, provided. Late responses may 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.gov prior to the due date and time specified on the first page of this announcement. The subject line should include the following information: SOI 1266 Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (Round 1.2) Please submit your question(s) with adequate time for response. Late questions might 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.

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

Prequalification Process

New York State requires not-for-profit organizations to complete the Vendor Prequalification process for applications to be evaluated. After becoming prequalified in SFS Grants Management, not-for-profit organizations will have the responsibility to keep their information current by updating on an annual basis.

Applications received from not-for-profit applicants that are not prequalified in SFS in accordance with the timeframe listed in the section entitled “Eligibility Criteria” will be removed from further consideration.

NOTE: Government entities are not required to prequalify but should still be registered in SFS Grants Management (see Subsection entitled “Register for the NYS Statewide Financial System”).

Below is a summary of the steps that must be completed to meet registration and/or prequalification requirements. The prequalification page on the Grants Management website details the requirements.

https://www.nyscr.ny.gov/ https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/contracts/funding/ https://grantsmanagement.ny.gov/get-prequalified https://grantsmanagement.ny.gov/ https://grantsmanagement.ny.gov/

Register for the NYS Statewide Financial System

• On the Grants Management website, download a copy of the Registration Form for Vendors and follow the instructions on the How to Register page. You will be provided with a username and password allowing you to access SFS as a Vendor/Grantee.

• 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.

Complete Your Prequalification Application

• Sign in to the SFS Vendor Portal (be sure to select the checkbox to agree to Vendor Online Services’ Terms of Service). If this is your first time logging in, you may be prompted to change your password.

• Please consult the SFS Grantee User Manual for guidance regarding how to complete this process. The Grantee User Manual can also be obtained by logging into the SFS Vendor Portal and locating the training materials on SFS Coach.

• Click the “Grant Management” tile, then click the “Prequalification Application” tile. On the Welcome Page, under Select an Activity Below, (your Supplier ID will be pre-populated) choose the option that best applies to you and click Next. Complete the fields, including selecting the Business Unit/state agency you expect to do business with.

• Complete the questions by clicking the applicable drop-down or list item responses, and providing additional explanation/comments where needed.

• Upload required documents on the “Required Documents” page. This constitutes your “Prequalification Application.” “Optional Documents” are not required unless specified in this RFP.

• Input required “Contacts” information.

• Specific questions about the prequalification process should be directed to the agency contact listed in the section entitled “Contact Information”, or to the Grants Management Team at: HelpDesk@sfs.ny.gov.

Submit Your Prequalification Application

• After completing your prequalification application, on the “Submit” page you can review your information and certify the authorization attestation.

• When you are ready to submit the prequalification application for state agency review, click the “Submit” button. Once submitted, the screen will say “Pending Editor Review”.

https://grantsmanagement.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2023/12/grants-management-registration-form-for-statewide-financial-system.pdf https://grantsmanagement.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2023/12/grants-management-registration-form-for-statewide-financial-system.pdf https://grantsmanagement.ny.gov/register-your-organization-sfs mailto:HelpDesk@sfs.ny.gov https://esupplier.sfs.ny.gov/psc/passwd/SUPPLIER/ERP/c/MAINTAIN_SECURITY.EMAIL_PSWD.GBL https://esupplier.sfs.ny.gov/psp/fscm/SUPPLIER/?cmd=login&languageCd=ENG& https://upk.sfs.ny.gov/UPK/VEN101/FILES/Grantee_User_Manual.pdf mailto:HelpDesk@sfs.ny.gov

• If expedited review of your prequalification application is desired, please send an email request to the agency contact listed in section entitled “Contact Information” and identify your organization by including your organization name, Federal EIN, and SFS Vendor ID. It is recommended that you submit this request for expedited review before the Recommended Deadline to Prequalify noted in the section entitled “Calendar of Events”.

• Your prequalification application will be routed to a Prequalification Specialist for review. If your Prequalification Specialist requests modifications, you will receive an email notification.

• Requests for modifications should be addressed by the vendor and submitted for review without delay.

• Once your prequalification application has been approved, you will receive an email notification that you are now prequalified to do business with NYS and are eligible to submit bid responses to request funding.

Vendors are strongly encouraged to complete this process as soon as possible or by the timeframe specified in the section entitled “Eligibility Criteria” to participate in this grant opportunity. Prospective applicants are responsible for monitoring their prequalification status on SFS. OCFS cannot be held responsible in the event an applicant fails to submit their Prequalification Application for review in a timely manner, or if the documents uploaded by the applicant to their Prequalification Application are found deficient.

Evaluation Process

An internal review by OCFS will confirm eligibility. This solicitation is not a guarantee or promise of 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 among those interested organizations who are deemed to meet the eligibility requirements and are determined by OCFS to be suited for the program. OCFS will rank applications first based on the highest percentage below poverty level of the populations proposed to be served, and next, in the order that applications are received. Awards will be made until all available funding is exhausted. Approved applicants are required to match dollar for dollar the funds awarded.

OCFS may require additional information from an organization before deciding whether the interested organization is eligible and can supply the requested commodities or services. If OCFS requests additional information, it must be provided within five (5) 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).

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:

• place a monetary cap on the funding amount made in each contract 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 contract 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;

• use the responses submitted in response to this solicitation as part of an approved contract. At the time of contract development, awardees may be asked to provide additional budget and program information for the final contract;

• utilize any and all ideas submitted in the responses received where an award is ultimately made;

• 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

• where applicable, require contractors to participate in a formal evaluation of the program to be developed by OCFS. Contractors 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

• when applicable, consider statewide distribution and regional distribution within New

York City, including borough distribution methodology, in evaluating proposals; 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 contract(s).

Contract Documents

By submitting a response to this solicitation, the respondent agrees with all terms and conditions of the State of New York Contract for Grants Standard Terms and Conditions and/or Standard Clauses for all OCFS Contracts. Please review the sample contract templates provided here: https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/contracts/samples.php.

The contract documents consist of the following:

1. State of New York Contract for Grants Face Page

2. Signatory Page

3. State of New York Contract for Grants Standard Terms and Conditions

4. Appendix A

5. Attachment A-1: Agency-Specific Terms and Conditions

6. Attachment A-2: Program-Specific Terms and Conditions (if applicable)

7. Attachment B: Budget

8. Attachment C: Work Plan (Note: Attachment 1 - Application Form may be utilized as the applicant Work Plan).

9. Attachment D: Payment and Reporting Schedule

10. Attachment MWBE: Minority- and Women-owned Business Enterprises

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 Form

• Attachment 2* – NYS Grants for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Participation Certification

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

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