SOI 1271 Safe and Together Training Curriculum

Title: Solicitation of Interest (SOI) 1271 Safe and Together Training Curriculum

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

Contract term: 1/1/2027 – 12/31/2031

Date of issue: 9/21/2026

Due date/time: 10/14/2026 by 4:00 PM Eastern Time

Location: Statewide

Counties: Statewide

Background

The New York State Office of Children & Family Services (OCFS) announces a Solicitation of Interest (SOI) for qualified entities that have authorization to distribute and utilize the Safe & Together™ Model training and curricula to support its statewide implementation across New York State. This model is a comprehensive evidence-informed domestic violence practice framework that equips child welfare professionals and other child-serving system partners to improve their assessment and response to families experiencing domestic violence who are involved within the child welfare system. Child-serving system partners include, and are not limited to, agencies that provide foster care services, domestic violence service providers, family court, attorneys for the child, supervised visitation programs, court appointed special advocates, child advocacy centers, etc. This approach supports a shift from incident-based responses to a family-centered, trauma-informed practice that assesses beyond incidents to patterns of coercive control, promotes offender engagement and accountability, recognizes the protective capacities and lived experiences of adult and child survivors, and strengthens family engagement in safety planning, interventions and supports. This practice framework aligns with our mission to create a more family-led, child-centered, trauma-informed practice that prioritizes child safety, permanency and well-being. The framework includes tools and supports for professionals to improve assessment, documentation and family-led engagement, and a comprehensive implementation framework capable of transforming practice across child-serving systems in New York State. Please see the Eligibility Criteria section for additional information.

This advertisement is public notice that OCFS is seeking to contract with an organization to provide the Safe & Together™ Model curriculum and related practice tools for OCFS use. The contractor will be expected to support statewide implementation of this practice framework, which must include the development of OCFS staff as trainers and subject matter experts, ongoing trainer certification and professional development, as well as comprehensive implementation consultation, technical assistance, and organizational and systems change support to achieve consistent practice improvement across jurisdictions and practice areas for lasting systems change and improved outcomes for children and families.

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 a Letter of Interest (LOI). To be considered responsive, your organization’s LOI should be received no later than the deadline specified on the first page of this announcement. Please see the How to Respond section for additional information and submission requirements.

Through this announcement, OCFS is exploring the availability of vendors who have the expertise to provide the services required by OCFS. The results of this announcement are intended to determine if this opportunity will be competitively bid.

If too few responses are received, OCFS may pursue other procurement options for this project.

Scope of Work

The contractor must provide an integrated continuum of services designed to achieve statewide implementation of the Safe & Together™ Model and transform practice across child-serving systems in New York State. These services include:

1. Safe & Together™ Model Training Materials and Practice Tools o Develop and provide Safe & Together™ training materials, practice tools, participant resources, and instructor guides necessary to support skill development and implementation.

o Provide regular updates to curriculum and localization of content based on changes to state/federal statute, regulations and relevant research and data.

2. Implementation Consultation and Technical Assistance o Consulting with OCFS regarding implementation planning and execution.

o Providing technical assistance for local policy development, practice integration, workforce development, and organizational change.

o Providing guidance on model application in child welfare, domestic violence programs and other child serving systems that work in partnership with

OCFS.

3. Trainer Development and Certification o The contractor must provide a formal trainer development and certification pathway designed to build internal capacity within OCFS. OCFS anticipates having approximately 75 certified trainers statewide by the end of the contract term.

o Provide access to trainer development curricula, coaching, mentoring, and evaluation processes.

o Establish standards for certification and recertification designed to maintain fidelity to the model. Certification to be re-evaluated every 2 years, with ongoing monitoring of trainer performance.

o Provide ongoing support and technical assistance for certified trainers.

o Provide regular and continuing online learning opportunities for certified trainers to remain current with Safe & Together™ Model developments, updates, and emerging best practices.

4. Organizational and Systems Change Support o Provide consultation designed to support sustainable implementation within public child welfare systems.

o Provide assistance with implementation planning, readiness assessment, leadership engagement, and systems alignment.

o Provide support for developing organizational capacity to sustain statewide

Safe & Together™ Model implementation.

5. Fidelity and Quality Assurance o Provide access to Safe & Together™ Model-specific implementation tools, assessment resources, and fidelity measures.

o Provide regular reports on evaluation data, including pre and post test scores, on all training conducted by OCFS sponsored certified trainers.

OCFS anticipates providing approximately 80 trainings per year which would require this evaluation.

o Provide ongoing support to ensure consistency and integrity of implementation efforts.

Applicants may not subcontract any component of the scope of work.

Eligibility Criteria

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

• Agree to provide the services outlined in the Scope of Work section.

• Licensed to do business in the state of New York or agree to become licensed in the state of New York if selected for award.

• Authorization to distribute and utilize Safe and Together™ Model training and curricula.

• At least 3 years of experience providing support to child welfare systems to develop domestic violence–informed practices.

• At least 3 years of experience providing support to domestic violence advocates to develop domestic violence–informed practices.

• At least 3 years of experience developing and certifying internal trainers within public child welfare systems or human service systems.

• At least 3 years of experience supporting evidence-informed practice framework that addresses the intersection of child welfare and domestic violence.

Funding Details

The anticipated funding available for this project is up to $250,000 per year, with OCFS anticipating one (1) award to support this project. OCFS intends to use the results of this solicitation to determine if this opportunity will be competitively bid.

Funding for this project may be subject to change and is contingent upon the availability of funds in the state and/or federal budgets and the number of interested and eligible parties that respond to this solicitation.

Term of Contract

Any contract awarded to perform this work is anticipated to be for up to 5 years. The anticipated start date is 1/1/2027 and the anticipated end date is 12/31/2031. Funding is anticipated to be available for the first year of the contract. The award of a contract does not guarantee funding will be available for subsequent years. Contractors may not begin providing services before the contract start date; OCFS has no obligation to pay for services rendered before the New York State Office of the State Comptroller and the Office of the Attorney General approve 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.

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

Interested parties should complete and provide the following documents:

• Attachment 1 – Letter of Interest

• Attachment 2 – Submission Checklist

The subject line of the email submission of your response should include the following information: SOI 1271 Safe and Together Training Curriculum. Additionally, please identify the vendor’s name in the body of the email and in the file names of attached documents to ensure your submission is processed efficiently. Early submissions are encouraged, as late responses may be subject to rejection.

Please limit your Letter of Interest to a maximum of 15 page(s), Arial 12-point font, single line spacing and one-inch margins. Attachment 1 – Letter of Interest is mailto:funding@ocfs.ny.gov provided for your reference.

Email delivery or read receipts are recommended. OCFS will provide a confirmation email that the submission has been received. Bidders 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 1271 Safe and Together Training Curriculum.

Please submit your question(s) with adequate time for response. OCFS recommends allowing at least five business days. Late questions may not be addressed.

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 of funding.

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 business days from request or as otherwise directed in the request.

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

If a contract is awarded to perform this work, the respondent must agree with all terms and conditions of the Standard Clauses for all OCFS Contracts. Please review the sample contract template here: https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/contracts/samples.php.

https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/contracts/samples.php

The contract documents consist of the following:

1. Face Page

2. Signatory Page

3. OCFS Agreement

4. Appendix A: Standard Clauses for NYS Contracts

5. Appendix A-1: Standard Clauses for all OCFS Contracts

6. Appendix A-2: Program-Specific Clauses

7. Appendix A-3: Federal Assurances and Certifications & Federal Fund Vendor

Determination (when applicable)

8. Appendix B: Budget

9. Appendix C: Payment and Reporting Terms and Conditions

10. Appendix D: Work Plan

11. Appendix HIPPA (when applicable)

12. Appendix MWBE Minority- and Women-owned Business Enterprises

13. Appendix E: Notice of Grant Award, if federally funded

14. Appendix X: Modification Agreement

The following documents may be required during the contract development process:

• Proof of Workers’ Compensation Insurance (if applicable)

• Proof of Disability Benefits Coverage (if applicable)

• ST-220-CA Contractor Certification to Covered Agency (if applicable)

• OCFS-4631, MWBE Utilization Plan Form (if applicable)

• OCFS-4629, Project Staffing Plan Form

• SDVOB 100, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Utilization Plan (if applicable)

• OCFS-4441, MWBE Quarterly Report Form (Required during contract term. See Attachment MWBE/Appendix MWBE for more information.)

Contact Information

Primary contact: Submit to contact:

Director of Contracts Director of Contracts Office of Children & Family Services Office of Children & Family Services 52 Washington Street 52 Washington Street Room 202S – Procurement Unit Room 202S – Procurement Unit Rensselaer, NY 12144 Rensselaer, NY 12144 funding@ocfs.ny.gov 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 http://www.wcb.ny.gov/content/main/forms/AllForms.jsp http://www.wcb.ny.gov/content/main/forms/AllForms.jsp https://www.tax.ny.gov/pdf/current_forms/st/st220ca_fill_in.pdf http://ocfs.ny.gov/main/Forms/Contracts/OCFS-4631%20M-WBE%20Utilization%20Plan%20Form.dot https://ocfs.ny.gov/forms/ocfs/OCFS-4629.docx https://ogs.ny.gov/sdvob-100-utilization-plan http://ocfs.ny.gov/main/Forms/Contracts/OCFS-4631%20M-WBE%20Utilization%20Plan%20Form.dot https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/contracts/docs/mwbe/MWBE-Attachment.pdf http://ocfs.ny.gov/main/bcm/MWBE-Appendix.pdf mailto:funding@ocfs.ny.gov https://www.nyscr.ny.gov/

OCFS website at https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/contracts/funding/.

• Attachment 1 – Letter of Interest*

• Attachment 2 – Submission Checklist*

* Attachments marked with an asterisk must be completed and included with your response submission.

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