Specifications.pdf

Request for Proposals for

Youths and Adults Development and Violence Prevention

Programs

I. Introduction

A. Purpose of the RFP

The Purpose of this RFP is to address health disparities and social determinants specifically Violence as a public health issue exasperated by the COVID-19

Pandemic. Funding will specifically address the provision of mental health treatment, Substance misuse treatment, Other behavior health services, Crisis intervention, and Services or outreach to promote access to health and social services

Serving the hardest-hit communities and families

While the pandemic has affected communities across the country, it has disproportionately impacted low-income families and communities of color and has exacerbated systemic health and economic inequities. Low-income and socially vulnerable communities have experienced the most severe health impacts

Throughout the pandemic which had the state of New Jersey second only to New York in total number of CoV19 cases and deaths in the nation, Newark, the state's largest city, had the most cases and deaths in the state. A city with a predominately Black and Brown population with a median household income of $35,000, leading the state in most of the negative health indicators, and with a significant portion of the population without health insurance and who do not speak

English as a primary language, the CoV19 response needs and challenges were many in one of the hardest hit community. Newark's case positivity rate was 68% during the height of the pandemic, second week of April 2020 with 200-250 cases/day

This Request for Proposals (RFP) is to seek proposals from qualified applicants to implement the

Office Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery Youth and Adult Development and Violence

Prevention Programs. The goals and expected outcomes of funded proposals are to provide youth and adults activities and wrap around services as part of a more holistic approach by increasing engagement in prosocial, recreational academic and career development activities. the proposal is open to any program serving youth and adults in Newark, New Jersey. City of Newark seeks proposals to provide skills training, support services and recreational activities to young people ages [11-17] and adults [18-30]. Please see “Scope of Services” for additional information.

This RFP presents an opportunity to fund multiple impactful youth and adult development programs that prioritizes community-based interventions, while simultaneously promoting overall violence prevention strategies. Positive youth and adult development programs actively work to promote prosocial behavior by strong bonds between both youth and adults

(coaches/parents/teachers/mentors) and between peers. By promoting positive social bonds and teaching self-confidence and discipline, these programs offer a unique opportunity to empower the young and adults, strengthen community bonds, and increase family and public safety.

The Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery seeks innovative and impactful programs that create safer communities. The Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery seeks to integrate proven strategies with youth development and adult development program models, thus creating a positive development program to service the multifaceted needs of Newark based youth, adults and their families.

The Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery is envisioned as a local, collaborative, and community-driven project that will:

Foster positive relationships between the family community and public safety.

Reduce eliminate and /or prevent violent behavior.

Improve self-confidence, perception/efficacy among young and adult population.

Increase exposure to positive adult role models.

Improve academic performance and school attendance.

Requirements for the Provider

***Please be aware that all of these requirements must be demonstrated in the proposal.

Proposals that are submitted without this information will be deemed non-responsive.

The Provider must be a not-for-profit organization or a for-profit business entity or a licensed solo practitioner that:

Has been in operation for at least one year.

If non for profit currently designated as a 501(c)(3) organization by the IRS.

If non for profit currently designated as a tax exempt organization by the State of NJ.

Has obtained and maintained in good standing all licenses and registrations necessary to operate as a tax-exempt organization or business entity in the State of NJ.

Must demonstrate that it has the necessary infrastructure in place to achieve the program’s goals.

If for profit, must be registered as an Incorporation, LLC or Sole Practitioner

The Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recover is committed to funding community-based initiatives and/ or community based professional mental and substance abuse counselors and helping community-based organizations to develop capacity where needed. As such, organizations of varying sizes and capacity are eligible and encouraged to apply. Applicants, however, should have the staff, relationships, and resources necessary to implement their proposed project or should demonstrate the ability to acquire and develop them in a timely manner upon being funded for an award through this RFP. All applicants must be able to illustrate how their proposal aligns with the goals and objectives of the RFP. The applicant must address sustainability of the program after 12 month period.

Funding and Number of Awards

The Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery anticipates total funding to be up to

1,000,000 over 1 year. Individual award amounts requested should be no less than $_10,000_and no more than $250,000 for a 12-month budget. Applicants will be required to identify and coordinate with other providers in the community and will not be considered for funding if their proposals do not reflect the intention and ability to coordinate.

Please note that this program will be supported with American Rescue Act Funds and therefore, any applicants who are awarded funding will be required to agree to a series of terms and conditions regarding use of funds; record keeping requirements; sub-recipient monitoring requirements; and other certifications that are necessary in order to be in compliance with

American Rescue Act guidelines.

Program Locations

The proposal is open to any program serving youth and adults in Newark, New Jersey. Funding will be used to support youth and adult development programs and violence prevention projects that serve any area of Newark, New Jersey.

Applicants should indicate the neighborhood(s) they plan on serving. Applicants may apply to serve more than one service area but must complete and submit a separate proposal for each program location. In the case that an applicant is eligible for more than one contract award, Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery reserves the right to determine, based on the applicant’s demonstrated organizational capacity and Newark, New Jersey best interests, how many and which service area contract(s) the applicant will receive. Each service area will be considered a separate competition, therefore, proposals for individual service areas will be compared to one another. City of Newark will award contracts based upon need, programmatic, and geographic distribution.

Applicants must submit a separate budget sheet and budget narrative for each service area a proposal is submitted.

Background

Youth and adult violence is a serious public health problem, exacerbated by COVID-19 and adverse childhood experiences (ACE) can have long-term impact on health and wellbeing. Youth and adult Violence is the intentional use of physical force or power to threaten or harm others.

Violent behavior includes fighting, bullying, and threats with weapons, and gang-related violence. An individual experiencing violence can be identified as a victim, offender, or witness.

Thousands of people experience violence every day. While the extent and types of violence vary across communities and demographic groups, violence negatively impacts all communities— urban, suburban, rural, and tribal.

In urban community’s homicide is the third leading cause of death for young people ages 10-24 and the leading cause of death for non-Hispanic Black or African American. Each day, more than 1,000 individuals are treated in emergency departments for physical assault-related injuries.

Some youth are at greater risk than others are. Research shows:

Sexual minority teens are more likely to experience multiple forms of violence compared to their heterosexual peers.

Youth violence disproportionately impacts Black or African American youth and young adults. Black or African American youth and young adults are at higher risk for the most physically harmful forms of violence (e.g., homicides, fights with injuries, aggravated assaults) compared with White youth and young adults.

Youth violence is costly. Youth homicides and nonfatal physical assault-related injuries result in nearly $21 billion annually in combined medical and lost productivity costs alone, not including costs associated with the criminal justice system, psychological and social consequences for victims, perpetrators and their families, or costs incurred by communities.

Purpose

The Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery has committed to investing funds to support impactful projects that reduce, eliminate or prevent violence, in the City of Newark, New

Jersey, as described in this RFP.

Scope of Services

Program Description

The Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery violence reduction, elimination or prevention programs, will provide youths and adults in Newark, New Jersey a safe, fun, and productive space, during the weekday and particularly in the evening and on weekends. The programs will aim to provide youth and/or adults with exceptional programming and additional support to reduce violence and increase engagement with academic, career development and social services throughout Newark, New Jersey.

Suggested Areas for Skills Training, Support Services and Recreational Activities

All applicants must be able to illustrate how their proposal aligns with the goals and objectives of the RFP. Proposals must clearly demonstrate how they fit into one of more of the following categories. Please note that proposals are not limited to the categories listed below.

Applicants are expected to currently provide one or more of the following type of skills training, support services or recreational activities as appropriate to the population(s) they serve and needs/gaps in their communities. Applicants will be required to identify and coordinate with other providers in the community and will not be considered for funding if their proposals do not reflect the intention and ability to coordinate. Applicants should indicate whether they currently provide any of the following services, and how and to what extent they propose to deliver them if funded through this RFP.

Sports and recreational activities

Entrepreneurship/ Job readiness workshops

Academic Assistance

Mentorship and relationship-building

Art and cultural activities

Life skills workshops

Family strengthening support

Health and wellness

Civic engagement and leadership

Substance Abuse Counseling

Mental Health Counseling

Safe Passage in and around schools and Educational Institutions

Safe House/ Housing/ Relocation

Conflict Resolution/ Mediation

Security

Transportation

Court Support

Restorative Justice

Holistic Healing Workshops

The applicant must include but is not limited to specific strategies for violence reduction from the list below:

Strategy Approach

Early Intervention Offer voluntary parent coaching to at risk parents of young children through home visiting or other options proven to prevent child abuse and neglect. Studies show that being abused or neglected multiplies the risk that a child will grow up to be a violent criminal.

Ensure that all school-age children and youth have access to effective programs during school hours and after school to help them stay on track. Both approaches are needed to help school-age children stayclear of crime: first, effective programs during the school day and second, high quality after school programs.

Identify children and provide them and their parent’s effective interventions so that the children will avoid a life of crime. Many children who are overly aggressive and at higher risk of becoming involved in violent crime later in life can be identified at an early stage and can be helped. Many young people who are already offenders can become productive citizens with the right help.

Conflict Resolution/De-

Escalation

Programs focus on individual emotions and learning for violence prevention

Knowledge of Conflict Resolution and De-Escalation techniques.

Recognition of violent incident and all parties involved.

Prepare a report on the incident, attaching all the received/collected evidence.

Dispute Resolution Services

Ensure neutral conflict handling.

Propose and conduct a virtual mediation between the involved parties to solve the conflict reported.

Document mediation outcomes.

Social Emotional

Programs

Developing social and emotional competencies in children results in the ability to form close and secure relationships with adults and peers as well as to regulate and express their feelings in socially and culturally appropriate ways. The applicant should l develop a program that will incorporate of the following goals:

Self-Awareness.

Social Awareness.

Self-Management.

Relationship Skills.

Responsible Decision Making.

Strengthening Families Children are more likely to thrive when their families have the support they need.

By focusing on the five universal family strengths identified in the Strengthening

Families Protective Factors Framework, community leaders and service providers can better engage, support, and partner with parents in order to achieve the best outcomes for kids. The agency may utilize:

Strengthening Families framework that is a research-informed approach to increase family strengths, enhance child development, and reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect. It is based on engaging families, programs, and communities in building five key Protective Factors.

Parental resilience

Social connections

Knowledge of parenting and child development

Concrete support in times of need

Social and emotional competence of children

Employment/Vocational Applicant should be a Community-Based Employment Program (CBEP). The employment/vocational program models that will strengthen Newark workforce development system and help youths and adults gain the support, educational credentials, and skills needed to succeed in today's and future economy.

This model will provide participants with paid experiences that:

Introduce them to the world of work and expose participants to career pathways and opportunities, Help build essential work readiness skills

Orient participants to educational pathways that support career and life goals.

Additionally, to help address the ever-present literacy challenges within the workforce system, OVP seeks Vocational Skills Training programs that can deliver training and contextualized literacy services to individuals up to two grades below typical educational entrance requirements for the field of study. Contextualized literacy, in this context, refers to an approach to teaching and learning that integrates developmental, adult basic education and/or English as a Second

Language (ESL) instruction with vocational training. The goal of contextualized literacy is to help training participants with academic skills that are lower than program entrance requirements to successfully attain a recognized credential through vocational training. Contextualized literacy embeds basic skills instruction into technical content instruction by drawing from content rooted in every day or/and workforce activities.

Vocational training with embedded contextualized literacy instruction should include the following elements:

A clear selection and enrollment process that accepts participants one to two grade levels below the typical entrance requirements.

Seamless integration of literacy instructional components with vocational instruction and activities.

Staff assigned to support and coordinate contextualized literacy components.

Applicants are encouraged to partner with qualified agencies that have the capacity to deliver literacy instruction within a Vocational Skills Training environment.

Restorative Justice This program model provides a myriad of interventions based on legal empowerment, and ancestral processes bring alternative solutions to community trauma. This provides restorative interventions, involve dialogues and discussion circles with trained facilitation that support people who have done harm in recognizing the impacts of what they have done and acknowledging their accountability. Sometimes the survivor and the person who harmed them participate in separate circles, as a safe way to offer for survivors to participate.

Together they reach agreements and make a plan for appropriate consequences and reparations, which may include stopping the harmful behaviors, listening to the person who was harmed and acknowledging the impacts of the harm, apologizing for the harm, making appropriate reparations, and agreeing to not repeat the harmful behavior with anyone, ever again.

Case Management Services The goal of this program is to reduce and eliminate the number of youth and adults receiving crisis intervention and/or emergency care through improved emotional stability in Newark, NJ. Utilizing the collaborative care model and ensuring that youth’s and adult needs are at the forefront of all services, the applicant will aim to address concerns relating to health, mental health, academia and employment/career. Uniquely, the main objective of the program is to recruit mentors who have real-life and credible experiences, who can develop a realistic working relationship with the youth and /or adult This real-life experience helps reduce the feelings of isolation, abandonment and fear often associated with living in a high crime, high poverty neighborhood. The aim will be to ensure that youth and/or adult have mentors who are relatable , consistent and thorough in their approaches for long term sustainability

Housing/Transitional

Services

Applicant should provide transitional housing beds for justice-involved individuals to avoid incarceration and or stabilize post release. The applicant must identify number of beds available and their ability to scale up for additional beds subject to funding availability.

In the United States, formerly incarcerated individuals are ten times more likely to be homeless than the general public. The lack of sufficient immediate housing resources for justice-involved individuals contributes to unnecessary jail stays where individuals instead could be safely supported in the community, as well as negative outcomes for individuals upon release, such as behavioral and physical health deterioration and potentially repeat criminal justice involvement. Conversely, investing in stable housing has been found to limit unnecessary encounters with law enforcement, as well as safely reduce the number of people in jail. Additionally, housing instability makes it difficult for individuals to maintain engagement with stabilizing services including mental health and substance use treatment, job training, and educational assistance, while also making it harder for individuals to reconnect with family and community. Therefore, these transitional housing resources provide an opportunity for justice-involved individuals to receive the support they need under a safe, caring roof to stabilize in the community and avoid future touches with the criminal justice system.

The applicant goals should include but is not limited too;

Reduce the use of incarceration through the provision of housing.

Prevent further criminal justice system involvement.

Address gaps in services between short term emergency housing and permanent housing.

Provide housing for individuals engaged in Alternative to Detention (ATD), Alternative to Incarceration (ATI), Supervised Release, and/or reentry programs:

Provide holistic, wraparound services for transitional housing residents including mental, behavioral, and physical health-care

In addition to transitional housing beds, services provided by housing providers may include, but are not limited to, individual and group counseling, case management, education and employment assistance, and substance use and mental health treatment. Housing providers may also refer clients to other social service providers for particular services not provided in-house, which may include, but are not limited to, residential substance use treatment, education assistance, job training and placement, etc.

Providers should have adequate program staff available to meet clients’ needs, including social workers and housing specialists, as well as any necessary administrative and/or maintenance staff to support operations. If providing substance use mental health treatment, providers must employ the appropriately licensed staff.

Applicants selected for award will be those that demonstrate successful experience providing similar services to similar populations as those targeted by the RFP, as well as those that demonstrate cultural competence working with the target population and extensive partnerships with other community-based service providers.

Organizations are welcome to propose new and innovative models to serve both a specific target population and a broader population. Organizations that offer either a single or multiple specialized services to transitional housing participants, such as substance use treatment, mental health treatment, and/or physical health-care, will be considered for funding. Priority will be given to organizations providing on-site mental and/or behavioral health care

Health and Wellness Applicant should provide Community focused Health and Wellness in Newark, New Jersey . The applicant will address the following areas:

MENTAL HEALTH – Foster a supportive and mindful community that has a shared, respectful understanding of mental health equal to physical health.

Applicant ‘s mental health services must be licensed, culturally-diverse, and culturally competent.

Applicant should include, where applicable, integrated behavioral health services, based on awareness of cultural factors in substance use.

SUBSTANCE USE & PREVENTION – Applicant should provide counseling in preventing and/or reducing substance use disorder and associated mental health illnesses for all populations.

Early intervention through preventative education, assessments, and screenings

Increase access and awareness to treatment services and resources.

ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD – Foster a community that focuses on providing access to nutritious food through resources and education. Our ultimate goal to reduce the rates of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity.

Provide educational opportunities on healthy eating

Provide healthy incentive programs (within grocery stores, public schools, healthcare facilities, senior centers)

Promote and educate economic benefits of accessing healthy foods (i.e. SNAP

& HIP benefits)

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY – Improve the overall health of Newark youths and adults by creating safe, equitable access to physical activity.

Create policies and practices that increase access to physical activities

Establish or promote safe indoor or outdoor physical activity sites

(playgrounds, recreational sites, walking trails, green space, community centers, gyms)

Develop and promote workplace initiatives

Art/Music/Culture Therapy Applicant should be a Community based focused Art ,Music and Culture provider in Newark, NJ .Funding will be used to support programs and services to improve the overall knowledge and appreciation of the Arts within the Newark community. Funding will support innovative arts-based programs that address trauma experienced by survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse, formerly incarcerated youth and/or adults, refugees, and other populations facing mental health issues due to life circumstances, and to combat mental health stigma that is often a barrier for people needing support.

In the wake of the epidemic and the increased awareness of its disproportionate impact on specific communities, we are seeing an increased need for such programs. We are encouraged by the new dialogue about the importance and power of the arts. The arts are not a panacea, but research demonstrates that they can be a useful resource for individuals and communities

Proposal Content and Format

A. Proposal Formatting and Requirements

Applicants should adhere to the following formatting requirements:

The program narrative should be double-spaced, using standard 12-point font

(Times New Roman is preferred) with 1-inch margins.

The program narrative should not exceed 20 pages. Charts, figures, footnotes, endnotes, and references do not need to be double-spaced. Attachments are included in the page limit (i.e. budget forms, timeline, resumes, letters of support or linkage agreements).

The proposal should include page numbers.

Proposals should not contain hyperlinks. All relevant information should be in the body of the proposal itself. Reviewers will not visit external websites when evaluating proposals.

B. Cover Letter

The cover letter should include the proposed neighborhood to be served, the types of services to be provided, a brief description of the focus population(s) intended to be served under this RFP, and a list of any potential partners. The cover letter should be signed and dated by an authorized representative of the applicant. Letters of agreed involvement from potential partners should also be included as part of the application submission.

C. Program Narrative

Applicants should describe in detail the following components:

a. Neighborhood Profile

Identify the specific neighborhood(s) in Newark, New Jersey to be focused on for the proposed project and explain why that target area was chosen.

Describe the characteristics that make the target area appropriate for intervention.

List and describe the activities of any known existing youth and/or adult development and violence prevention resources within the proposed target area. Include coalitions, initiatives, strategies, agencies and programs that are focused on preventing youth and/or adult gangs.

Describe how the proposed program will coordinate with existing community projects.

b. Program Design

Describe the services to be provided with the proposed funding.

Identify the applicant's key partners that are critical to the project's success and describe the method that will be used to have regular meetings with such key partners.

Describe your experience working with the focus population of the proposed program.

Describe how the program will actively identify and retain participants.

Organizational Capacity

Applicants should describe their organizational (i.e., technical, managerial, and financial) capacity to perform the work set forth in this RFP. Items to be addressed in this section:

1. Provide an explanation of what makes the applicant qualified to successfully administer the proposed project by outlining its capacity and relevant experience in the areas listed below:

Describe the function of your organization.

Explain how current and/or previous work is relevant, and how this knowledge and experience will be leveraged in the planning and implementation of the

Office of Violent Prevention and Trauma Recovery violence reduction, elimination or prevention programs. If the applicant does not have applicable experience in an area, describe a plan for identifying and engaging partners or consultants that do have the necessary expertise or ability. This section should demonstrate the applicant’s credibility with the community in the target area specified.

2. Description and evidence of community/neighborhood ties of the applicant and partner providers. Identify any partnerships with other service providers (e.g., community-based organizations, religious institutions, schools) and describe the nature of the partnerships.

3. Resources the applicant and partner providers would use to provide the supports, including number of full-time staff members, facilities, and technology (if applicable).

4. Attach a copy of the applicant’s latest audit report or certified financial statement, or a statement as to why no report or statement is available. (this will not count towards the aforementioned page limit.)

5. List the five largest grants the applicant has administered over the past three years, along with funding sources and contact information. Please see attachment.

6. Address whether if any fiscal or program management issues resulted in any contract suspension or termination for your organization, the applicant must disclose it and provide an explanation in the narrative.

7. Does the applicant use a Data Management System or database? If yes, please note the type of system or database being used. If no, please describe how accomplishments are currently, or will be, documented and measured for this program. Outline prior experience with data collection, management and reporting.

8. Address whether the applicant, or the implementing entity, is or was the subject of any completed, current, pending or ongoing investigation by any federal, state, or local authority for criminal, civil or regulatory violations, include the current status or outcome, if known.

9. Please describe the type(s) of liability insurance your organization carries.

Organizational Experience

Applicants should describe their organizational experience relevant to the successful performance of the work set forth in this RFP. Items to be addressed in this section:

1. What experience prepares the applicant for hiring, training, managing and retaining staff necessary to the operation of this program?

2. Provide the applicant’s experience with managing direct services. Provide examples of work/programs and additional support services provide young people ages [11-17] and / or adults [18-30] that helped to reduce eliminate or prevent violence through increase engagement with academic, career development and social services.

3. What prior experience does the applicant have working with local public safety .

4. List titles, qualifications, and anticipated roles of key staff that will be needed to implement and administer this project. Provide resumes for any staff that have been identified for specific roles on the project. To what extent do staff have training and experience in working with individuals from the populations to be served.

5. Does the applicant have other resources (i.e., relevant programs, volunteers, administrative support, food for meetings etc.) that can be dedicated to the implementation of the program in the identified community? If yes, please describe.

Please note that matching funds are not a requirement for a successful proposal.

6. Identify any collaboration between the applicant and any partners that are expected to have roles in implementing the project. Include signed Memoranda of

Understanding (MOUs), other written agreements or letters of support stating the roles and responsibilities of the participant entities who have agreed to a role in this proposal.

Timeline

Attach a timeline that outlines key activities and deliverables for administering the program during the term of the grant, keeping in mind the planning/startup and operational periods. The timeline should include a schedule that includes the following:

1. Goals and milestones for the planning and operating periods

2. Anticipated timing of public education and community events (if applicable)

3. Other significant project milestones

Performance Monitoring

The Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery is committed to measuring performance for our initiatives so that others may learn from and build on those initiatives. Data gathered by providers throughout the grant term will be used to adjust implementation of services, as appropriate. Process measures will be particularly important for helping awardees adjust program implementation.

At a minimum, applicants will be expected to report on metrics in the following areas each quarter: (i) type of services provided, (ii) number of clients served, (iii) demographics, (iv) a narrative summary of activities during the reporting period.

Funded applicants will be required to submit deliverables to Office of Violence

Prevention and Trauma Recovery on a quarterly basis throughout the contract period. Appendix 1 provides an example of these deliverables. Applicants may add any other deliverables relevant to your program.

Program Budget and Narrative

Applicants must provide a budget outlining their proposed use of funding to achieve the goals of youth and/or adult violence prevention programs. Please use this template when preparing your budget.

Applicants must also provide a budget narrative that corresponds to the budget.

Applicants should describe funding needs over the length of the12 month funding period. The narrative should link the proposed costs to the proposed program components and activities and outline any assumptions on which the budget is based.

Eligible Expenses

Funding may be used to cover administrative expenses needed to implement and administer the program including materials and other program expenses necessary to accomplish the goals of the program. This includes salaries necessary for the performance of this program. When completing your budget and budget narrative please be specific and explain the tasks and role the funded person will play.

Please note that funding may not be used for food and beverages. Funding may also not be used for equipment purchases but can be used for equipment rentals for the duration of the contract.

Awarded funding may not supplant existing funding. However, the funds can be used to augment and/or expand an existing program.

Applicants may request up to 10% for indirect costs on all budget categories except equipment and sub-contractor costs.

Evaluation Procedures

All proposals accepted by Division of Central Purchasing will be reviewed to determine whether they are responsive or non-responsive to the requirements of this RFP. Proposals that are determined as non-responsive will be rejected.

Evaluation committee will evaluate and rate all remaining proposals based on the evaluation criteria detailed below. The Office of Violence Prevention reserves the right to conduct site visits and/or interviews and/or to request that proposers make presentations and/or demonstrations, as Office of Violence Prevention deems applicable and appropriate.

Although discussions may be conducted with proposers submitting acceptable proposals, the City of Newark reserves the right to award contracts on the basis of initial proposals received, without discussions; therefore, the applicant's initial proposal should contain its best programmatic/technical terms.

The Office of Violence Prevention reserves the right to fund none, one, or multiple applicants, based on the proposals received in response to this RFP.

A. Proposal Ranking and Review Process

Review Committee: The Office of Violence Prevention will convene an evaluation committee to review each proposal to determine if it meets the requirements outlined in this document. A point system will be utilized with a maximum number of points equaling 100.

The following evaluation criteria will be used to identify the winning proposal(s):

Program Narrative (including any follow-up interviews, site visits, presentations etc.): 50 points

Organizational Capacity: 20 points

Organizational Experience: 25 points

Budget and Budget Narrative: 5 points

Appendix 1: Deliverables

Funded applicants will be required to submit deliverables to Office of Violence Prevention and

Trauma Recovery attention of Lakeesha Eure . LCSW or her designee on a quarterly basis throughout the contract period. Appendix 1 provides an example. Applicants may add any other deliverables relevant to their program.

Appendix 2: Organization’s 5 Largest Grants and Contracts. Use Appendix 2 as a guide to list the organization’s 5 largest grants and contracts.

Appendix 3: Budget Template

An electronic version of this form is available on our website. Please note that funding for food and beverages are not eligible.

Appendix 4: How to Complete Your Budget and Budget Narrative

Appendix 5: Proposal Checklist for Applicants

Appendix 1

Deliverables

Funded applicants will be required to submit deliverables to OVP- Ms. Lakeesha Eure on a quarterly basis throughout the contract term. The template below includes the anticipated deliverables. Applicants may add any additional deliverables that are part of their programmatic goals.

# Name Description Frequency/Due Date

1 Type of Services

Provided

Based upon programmatic goals

Quarterly

2 Number of Clients

Served

Quarterly

Demographic Data Program client information such as:

Date enrolled in program

Demographic information such as race, gender and age.

Length of participation in program

4 Narrative Summary Quarterly

5 Operational costs status Fiscal Reports Quarterly

6 Implementation Report Report on challenges to implementing and growing the program; status of solutions; outputs

Bi-annually

7. Outcome data Data on various outcomes as requested by City of Newark or third party evaluator

Ad hoc

Appendix 2

Organization’s 5 Largest Current Grants and Contracts

Funder Name Program Name Start Date End Date Total Amount Description of Program

Appendix 3

Budget Template

A budget template is available in the Attachments section in the ProcureNow portal. Please use this template when completing your budget.

Appendix 4

How to Complete your Budget and Budget Narrative

Below are instructions on how to complete your budget. Also included are examples on how to complete your budget narrative.

Personnel Services:

Only salaries necessary for the performance of this program are eligible. When completing your budget and budget narrative please be specific and explain the tasks and role the funded person will play.

OTPS:

Supplies: Indicate general categories such as sports equipment, office supplies, and other items needed for the performance of the contract, including an amount for each category.

List items by type (office, supplies postage, training materials, copying paper, and other expendable items such as books) and show the basis for computation. Generally, supplies include any materials that are expendable or consumed during the course of the project.

Sample Narrative:

o We anticipate purchasing the following:

75 basketballs at $20 each: $1,500

Office supplies $250

Total: $1,750

Rental of Equipment: Funding may not be used for equipment purchases but can be used for equipment rentals for the duration of the contract.

Travel: In the budget justification, include the destination, number of people traveling and dates or duration of your stay for all anticipated travel. It is important that you clearly state how the travel is directly related to the program.

Sample Narrative:

o We anticipate a local travel budget of $400 for Metro-cards for travel to….

Consultant Services: Consultants differ from sub-contractors in that they may provide advice, but should not be providing actual services. Typically, consultants will charge a fixed rate for their services (see below for a description of sub-contractors and how they differ from consultants). The rate for a consultant should not exceed $650 for an eight-hour day and should include a breakdown of the consultant’s hourly rate and the estimated number of hours required.

Sample Narrative:

“ABC Consulting Services. $100/hr x 5 hours = $500. We will employ ABC consulting services at the beginning of the program to assist us in determining the best way to ensure that we are able to maintain the retention rates we propose.”

Other: Please indicate any other costs that you are requesting that do not fit into the categories above. Food and beverages are not eligible for funding.

Sub-contractors/Partners:

Each Sub-contractor/Partner you include must complete a separate budget form. These forms have been provided to you in separate sheets on the budget template. When you complete the sub-contract’s sheet the total will automatically populate the Budget Request form.

Direct costs: The direct costs categories are similar to the ones described above. However, sub-contractors are not permitted (i.e. a sub-contractor cannot have a further sub-contractor).

Indirect Costs: The indirect costs requested should be the indirect costs of the sub-contractor’s organization.

Narrative: Sub-contractors should each provide a budget narrative following their detailed budget. The justification should be separate from the primary grantee's justification and address just those items that pertain to the sub-contract.

Indirect Costs: You may request up to 10% for indirect costs on all budget categories except equipment and sub-contractor costs.

***NOTE: Because the sub-contractor will receive reimbursement for its own indirect costs, the direct cost category of sub-contractor in the primary grantee’s budget is excluded from indirect costs.

Appendix 5

Proposal Checklist for Applicants

***Please be aware that all of these checklist items must be included in the proposal.

Proposals that are submitted without this information will be deemed non-responsive.

______ Cover Letter signed by and dated by an authorized representative of the applicant

______ Program Narrative

______ Organizational Capacity

______ Organizational Experience

Budget

______ Budget Forms (see Appendix 3)

______ Budget Narrative

Attachments

______ Documentation of 501(c)(3) designation by the IRS (if applicable).

______ Documentation of designation as a tax-exempt organization by the State of NJ (if applicable).

______ Documentation of any other licensure/accreditation/certification of agency.

______ Documentation of insurance coverage

______ Appendix 2: Five largest grants administered

______ Timeline

______ Most recent independent audit of agency

______ Resumes and job descriptions for all key staff involved in the project

______ MOU’s with partners (if applicable)

______ Copy of current fiscal year budget