University District Doorway Project.docx

STATE OF WASHINGTON

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

RFP NO. 26-46305-01

NOTE: Please read this entire document before submitting a response. Responses that do not meet one or more requirement stated herein may be disqualified and not scored.

PROJECT TITLE: University District Doorway Project

PROPOSAL DUE: May 29th at 5:00 PM, Pacific Time, Olympia, WA

ESTIMATED TIME PERIOD FOR CONTRACT: July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2027

PROPOSER ELIGIBILITY: This RFP is open to those proposers which satisfy the minimum qualifications stated herein and are available for work in Washington.

FUNDING SOURCE AND METHOD: This is state funding. Payments will be made on a reimbursement basis for deliverables accepted and/or allowable time and expenses.

All current documents related to this RFA, including the application, exhibits, a schedule of activities, Questions and Answers, are available online at: https://deptofcommerce.box.com/s/c7vwpgo2suc78s14134c75wvfxwkjryo

CONTENTS OF THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:

1. Introduction

2. General Information for Proposers

3. Proposal Contents

4. Evaluation and Award

5. Exhibits

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION

PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

The Washington State Department of Commerce hereafter called "COMMERCE,” is initiating this Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit proposals from entities interested in providing services to homeless youth and young adults (hereafter YYA defined as ages 13-26yrs) in the University District neighborhood of Seattle and working in partnership with the University of Washington to develop and host a sustainable and comprehensive navigation and resource center for YYA with lived or living experience of homelessness.

The Doorway Project is about redefining how universities, communities, and service providers work together to support this community. By prioritizing youth leadership and lived expertise, the Doorway Project aims to create a replicable, long-term navigation/resource model that shifts systems, fosters equity, and transforms what it means to truly support young people in building stable, thriving futures.

Background

In 2024, the Point-In-Time (PIT) Count identified approximately 16,385 individuals experiencing homelessness in King County, reflecting a 23% increase from 2022 (KCRHA, 2024). While the 2024 PIT Count did not specify the exact number of YYA under 25, historical trends indicate that this group remains disproportionately impacted. The 2020 Count Us In report identified 955 unaccompanied YYA experiencing homelessness in King County, 63% of whom were unsheltered (KCRHA, 2020).

Homeless YYA continue to experience high rates of systems involvement and significant service gaps:

· 27% had a history of foster care involvement, compared to lower rates in the overall homeless population.

· 17% were on probation or parole, underscoring the intersection between homelessness and juvenile legal system involvement.

· LGBTQ+ youth remain overrepresented, with 28% of homeless YYA identifying as LGBTQ+.

· Access to services remains a challenge—while 63% of YYA experiencing homelessness utilized free meal programs, only 37% accessed drop-in/day shelters, and 35% sought targeted healthcare services (KCRHA, 2020).

Seattle’s University District has long been a hub for YYA, including a significant number experiencing homelessness. Recognizing both the prevalence of YYA in the area and the opportunity to better connect them with critical resources, the Washington State Legislature designated the university district as a priority area in 2017. This led to the creation of the Doorway Project—a state-funded initiative designed to bridge the gap between youth, community partners, and research institutions to build comprehensive, coordinated support and one stop resource/navigation systems. As services for people experiencing homelessness in the university district continue to shrink, the need to reimagine and sustain a youth-driven, community-centered model has never been more urgent.

Purpose of the RFP

The Office of Homeless Youth (OHY) and the University of Washington (UW) seek a primary partner, awarded $400,000 ($200,000 annually per fiscal year), to advance the development of a sustainable navigation and resource center for YYA with lived or living experience of homelessness. This partner will collaborate with the UW, YYA with lived experience, and community providers to continue to build and strengthen the Doorway Project—a national model for unified service coordination that integrates collaboration, research, resources, and direct support.

About the Office of Homeless Youth The Office of Homeless Youth Prevention and Protection Programs (OHY) leads statewide efforts to reduce and prevent homelessness for youth and young adults through five priority areas including safe and stable housing, family reconciliation, permanent connections, education and employment, and social and emotional well-being. The Office of Homeless Youth’s vision is that every family and youth in Washington State has the individualized support they need so that no young person has to spend a single night without a safe and stable home. Every community has services that are equitable, accessible, effective, responsive, and coordinated.

About the Doorway Project

The Doorway Project is a Washington state-funded initiative housed at the University of Washington, working in partnership with university district service providers and community organizations to address YYA homelessness. Rooted in a healing-centered engagement framework, the project centers the voices of YYA with lived experience, ensuring they play a key role in shaping services designed for them. By fostering cross-sector collaboration, the Doorway Project creates safe, inclusive, and empowering spaces where YYA can access paid programming, leadership opportunities, and meaningful support—not just as participants, but as co-creators. At its core, the Doorway Project is about partnership and collective action, bringing together young people, service providers, and community leaders to develop a sustainable, holistic approach to addressing—and ultimately ending—YYA homelessness.

COMMERCE intends to award one contract to provide the services described in this RFP.

OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF WORK

Funding through this opportunity will support the provision of services for YYA in tandem with partnership with the University of Washington to create and strengthen community and campus connections, as well as creative healing engagement opportunities for YYA with lived or living experience of homelessness. The ultimate vision of this project is to build a national model for coordinating and strengthening services, resources, and research opportunities among a college/university and community partners to end and address youth homelessness. As part of that vision, this project seeks to lay the foundation for the development of a sustainable one-stop/navigation & resource center in the University District for YYA experiencing homelessness.

At the heart of the Doorway Project is a simple but powerful belief: YYA experiencing homelessness are the experts in their own lives. Their voices, experiences, and leadership should be at the center of shaping solutions. To uphold this commitment, the lead organization must actively participate in ongoing collaboration and accountability efforts. The selected partner will be required to have their leadership team and representatives from any subcontracting partners participate in a monthly Community Advisory Board meeting, facilitated by the University of Washington in collaboration with appointed youth advisory board leaders. These meetings will serve as a space for collective decision-making, continuous feedback, and ensuring that services remain responsive to the needs of YYA. The selected partner will have the flexibility to subcontract with other organizations, ensuring that the model remains comprehensive and deeply rooted in community collaboration.

The scope of this project entails three main areas of work that are intended to operate in conjunction with each other:

1. Partner with the University of Washington to:

· Host space/s in the university district that are in service of providing support and resources for YYA with lived or living experience of homelessness.

· Support collaborative efforts to provide services and resources to community members in line with the mission of the Doorway Project.

· Inform and co-create a model of service delivery for homeless youth and young adults that centers the voices and experiences of YYA with lived or living experience.

· Engage and supervise with the UW Community Engaged Leadership and Education Center students in internships, practicums, or other placements at the leading organization and subcontracting partners in a service setting to provide direct service to youth and young adults.

· Leverage the expertise of the UW community to support YYA experiencing homelessness at the host agencies (e.g., hosting pop up clinics from UW/HMC Youth Clinic, collaborate with UW students on projects that provide bi-directional learning opportunities, etc.).

2. Provide an array of services and case management to meet the needs of YYA in the University District, including but not limited to:

· Engaging YYA in services through outreach conducted on the street and at an onsite service center developed in partnership with the University of Washington. Outreach should engage YYA in services that help them achieve stable housing, permanent connections, education and employment, social and emotional wellbeing, and family reconciliation (if warranted).

· Providing directly or through referral, services such as housing, food, clothing, hygiene, healthcare, counseling and mental health services, drug and alcohol treatment, educational and employment opportunities, etc.

· Partnering with community organizations and providers who have a presence in and around the University District to ensure service provision and engagement of YYA

3. Support and engage YYA to:

· Participate in peer outreach teams to engage YYA experiencing homelessness in services

· Participate directly in assessments and research conducted by the University of Washington in service of improving the model

· Inform service provision, including location of services and models for delivery

The scope of this project covers two phases. Funding through this RFP covers Phase I of the project from July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026. Phase II of the project will commence upon and be effective beginning July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Phase I deliverables are listed below, and Phase II deliverables will be developed between the grantee, COMMERCE, the University of Washington Doorway team, Doorway Community Advisory Board, and partners during Phase I.

Deliverable of Phase I include:

· Setting up site management of the “Gold House”: the site designated for services (property owned by University Congregational United Church of Christ: 4516 15th Avenue N.). This includes signing lease, building maintenance, procuring insurance to operate the space, setting up MOUs with all relevant partners.

· Coordinate service partners for use of the resource/navigation hub to best serve YYA

· Expanding robust drop in services for YYA with housing case management services (can be at Gold House and/or other sites in the university district as agreed with UW partners).

· Providing direct outreach and services to homeless youth and young adults

· Supporting internships for Community Engaged Learning and Education Center students

· Collaborating with the University of Washington to test pop-up service models in the university district (e.g., Annual Resource Fair, Provider trainings, etc.)

See Exhibit F - For more details on OHY funded programs, see:

Contracting Overview- OHY GUIDELINES FY25 Required Policies- OHY GUIDELINES FY25 Fiscal Administration- OHY GUIDELINES FY25 Personnel- OHY GUIDELINES FY25

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS – see REQUIRED sections on Cover Sheet, section 3.1

Minimum qualifications include:

· Licensed to do business in the State of Washington or provide a commitment that it will become licensed in Washington within thirty (30) calendar days of being selected as the Apparently Successful Contractor.

· 5 years of experience providing direct services to youth and/or young adults experiencing homelessness in the Seattle area.

Proposals that do not clearly meet or exceed all minimum qualifications listed above are non-responsive and will not be evaluated.

FUNDING

COMMERCE has budgeted an amount not to exceed four hundred thousand dollars ($200,000 per fiscal year) for this project, subject to available funding (as directed by the Washington State Legislature). The funding period begins on July 1, 2025 and expires on June 30, 2027. Amendments extending the period of performance, if any, shall be at the sole discretion of the COMMERCE. COMMERCE reserves the right to extend the contract for two, two-year periods.

Any contract awarded as a result of this RFP is contingent upon the availability of funding.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance of any contract resulting from this RFP is tentatively scheduled to begin on or about July 1, 2025 and to end on June 30, 2027. Amendments extending the period of performance, if any, shall be at the sole discretion of COMMERCE.

COMMERCE reserves the right to extend the contract for two one-year periods.

CONTRACTING WITH CURRENT OR FORMER STATE EMPLOYEES

Specific restrictions apply to contracting with current or former state employees pursuant to chapter 42.52 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW). Proposers are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the requirements prior to submitting a Proposal that includes current or former state employees.

DEFINITIONS

Definitions for the purposes of this RFP include:

Apparent Successful Contractor/Bidder/Vendor/Grantee/Awardee: The Proposer selected to perform the anticipated services, subject to successful completion of contract negotiations and execution of a written contract.

COMMERCE or AGENCY: The Department of Commerce is the agency of the state of Washington that is issuing this RFP.

Contract: A written, legally binding agreement to perform the services proposed, also called a Grant or Interagency Agreement.

Contractor: Individual or organization whose Proposal has been accepted by COMMERCE and is awarded a fully executed, written contract. Also called Grantee, Awardee, Recipient, or Vendor.

Exhibit: Document attached to this RFP, also referred to as Attachment.

Proposal: A formal offer submitted in response to this Request for Proposals.

Proposer: Individual, firm, organization, company, or other entity or group of entities that submits a Proposal to attain a contract with COMMERCE.

Request for Proposals (RFP): Formal procurement or solicitation document in which a service or need is identified but no specific method to achieve it has been chosen. The purpose of an RFP is to permit the Proposer community to suggest various approaches to meet the need at or below a given funding level.

Small business: An in-state business, including a sole proprietorship, corporation, partnership, or other legal entity, that: (a) Certifies, under penalty of perjury, that it is owned and operated independently from all other businesses and has either: (i) Fifty or fewer employees; or (ii) A gross revenue of less than seven million dollars annually as reported on its federal income tax return or its return filed with the Department of Revenue over the previous three consecutive years; or (b) Is certified with the Office of Women and Minority Business Enterprises under chapter 39.19 RCW.

Veteran-owned business: A business certified by the Washington Department of Veteran Affairs.

ADA

COMMERCE complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Proposers may contact the RFP Coordinator to receive this Request for Proposals in Braille or on tape.

2. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR PROPOSERS

RFP COORDINATOR

The RFP Coordinator is the sole point of contact in COMMERCE for this RFP. All communication between the Proposer and COMMERCE upon release of this RFP shall be with the RFP Coordinator, as follows:

Any other communication will be considered unofficial and non-binding on COMMERCE. Proposers are to rely only on written statements issued by the RFP Coordinator. Communication directed to parties other than the RFP Coordinator may result in disqualification of the Proposer.

ESTIMATED SCHEDULE OF PROCUREMENT ACTIVITIES

Question & answer period Access Public Q&A here 4/29/2025- 5/16/2025

Bidder Webinar Register for webinar in advance, here 5/6/2025

COMMERCE reserves the right to revise the above schedule.

QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD

COMMERCE will accept questions about this RFP sent to the RFP Coordinator at the email address listed in Section 2.1 during this period. Questions should not identify the submitting person or organization. COMMERCE will answer all questions in a Q&A document posted no later than the date identified in Section 2.2.

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

A pre-proposal conference webinar will be held on May 6th at 10am AM, Pacific time. The pre-proposal conference will be virtual only, on Zoom. Register for the webinar in advance: HERE. All prospective Proposers are encouraged attend; however, attendance is not mandatory.

COMMERCE will be bound only to COMMERCE written answers to questions. Questions arising at the pre-proposal conference will be documented and answered in written form. A copy of the questions and answers will be sent to each prospective Proposer that has requested the RFP Coordinator to send them RFP addenda.

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

ELECTRONIC PROPOSALS:

The proposal must be received by the RFP Coordinator at youthhomeless.wa.gov no later than 5:00 PM Pacific Time, in Olympia, Washington, on May 29th 2025.

Proposals must be submitted electronically as an attachment to an e-mail to the RFP Coordinator, at the e-mail address listed in Section 2.1. Attachments to e-mail shall be in Microsoft Word format or PDF. Zipped files cannot be received by COMMERCE and cannot be used for submission of Proposals. The Submittal Letter and the Certifications and Assurances form must have a scanned or digital signature of the individual within the organization authorized to bind the Proposer to the offer. COMMERCE does not assume responsibility for problems with Proposer’s e-mail. If COMMERCE email is not working, appropriate allowances will be made.

Proposals may not be transmitted using facsimile transmission (fax).

Proposers should allow sufficient time to ensure timely receipt of the proposal by the RFP Coordinator. Late proposals will not be accepted and will be automatically disqualified from further consideration, unless COMMERCE e-mail is found to be at fault at COMMERCE’S sole determination. Proposals should be sent in one email, however if more than one email is needed all must be received by the due date and time. Exceptions will not be made for partial submissions. Requests for deadline extensions will not be granted. All Proposals and any accompanying documentation become the property of COMMERCE and will not be returned. Any information received as a result of this RFP may be collected and considered for continuous improvement purposes.

PROPRIETARY INFORMATION AND PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

Proposals submitted in response to this RFP shall become the property of COMMERCE. All Proposals received shall remain confidential until the Apparent Successful Contractor is announced; thereafter, all Proposals are subject to disclosure as provided for in Chapter 42.56 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW).

Any information in the proposal that the Proposer desires to claim as proprietary and exempt from disclosure under the provisions of Chapter 42.56 RCW, or other state or federal law that provides for the nondisclosure of your document, must be clearly designated. The information must be clearly identified and the particular exemption from disclosure upon which the Proposer is making the claim must be cited. Each page containing the information claimed to be exempt from disclosure must be clearly identified by the words “Proprietary Information” printed on the lower right hand corner of the page. Marking the entire proposal exempt from disclosure or as Proprietary Information will not be honored.

If a public records request is made for the information that the Proposer has marked as "Proprietary Information," COMMERCE will notify the Proposer of the request and of the date that the records will be released to the requester unless the Proposer obtains a court order enjoining that disclosure. If the Proposer fails to obtain the court order enjoining disclosure, COMMERCE will release the requested information on the date specified. If a Proposer obtains a court order from a court of competent jurisdiction enjoining disclosure pursuant to Chapter 42.56 RCW, or other state or federal law that provides for nondisclosure, COMMERCE shall maintain the confidentiality of the Proposer's information per the court order.

A charge will be made for copying and shipping as allowed by law. No fee shall be charged for inspection of contract files, but twenty-four (24) hours’ notice to the RFP Coordinator is required. All requests for information should be directed to the RFP Coordinator.

REVISIONS TO THE RFP

In the event it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP, addenda will be provided via e-mail to all individuals who have made the RFP Coordinator aware of their interest. Addenda may also be published on Washington’s Electronic Business Solution (WEBS). The website can be located at https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/. For this purpose, the published questions and answers and any other pertinent information shall be provided as an addendum to the RFP and will be placed on the website. Such addenda will also be published anywhere the RFP is posted, including on COMMERCE’S public webpage, located at https://www.commerce.wa.gov/contracting/.

COMMERCE also reserves the right to cancel or to reissue the RFP in whole or in part, prior to execution of a contract.

COMPLAINT PROCESS

Potential Proposers may submit a complaint to COMMERCE based on any of following:

a) The solicitation unnecessarily restricts competition;

b) The solicitation evaluation or scoring process is unfair; or

c) The solicitation requirements are inadequate or insufficient to prepare a response.

A complaint may be submitted to COMMERCE at any time prior to 5 days before the proposal response deadline. The complaint must meet the following requirements:

a) The complaint must be in writing;

b) The complaint must be sent to the RFP coordinator in a timely manner;

c) The complaint should clearly articulate the basis for the complaint; and

d) The complaint should include a proposed remedy.

The RFP coordinator will respond to the complaint in writing. The response to the complaint and any changes to the solicitation will be posted on WEBS. The Director of COMMERCE will be notified of all complaints and will be provided a copy of COMMERCE’S response. The complaint may not be raised again during the protest period. COMMERCE’S action or inaction in response to the complaint is final. There is no appeal process.

RESPONSIVENESS

All Proposals will be reviewed by the RFP Coordinator to determine compliance with administrative requirements and instructions specified in this RFP. The Proposer is specifically notified that failure to comply with any part of this RFP may result in disqualification of the Proposal as incomplete and/or non-responsive.

Disqualified Proposers will be notified after the announcement of the Apparently Successful Contractor(s).

Disqualified Proposers will be informed of the reason for disqualification; this shall constitute a debriefing conference for the purposes of Section 4.6, Protest Procedure.

COMMERCE reserves the right at its sole discretion to waive minor administrative irregularities.

MOST FAVORABLE TERMS

COMMERCE reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the Proposal submitted. Therefore, the proposal should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms which the Proposer can propose. There will be no best and final offer procedure. COMMERCE reserves the right to contact a Proposer for clarification of its Proposal.

The Apparent Successful Contractor should be prepared to accept this RFP for incorporation into a contract resulting from this RFP. Contract negotiations may incorporate some, or all, of the Proposer’s Proposal. The Proposal will become a part of the official procurement file on this matter without obligation to COMMERCE.

CONTRACT GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS

The Apparent Successful Contractor will be expected to enter into a contract which is substantially the same as the example contract and its general terms and conditions attached as Exhibit E. This sample contract is for information and review only and should not be returned with your Proposal. In no event is a Proposer to submit its own standard contract terms and conditions in response to this RFP. All proposed edits to the contract terms and conditions must be submitted as an attachment to Exhibit A, Certifications and Assurances form. COMMERCE will review requested edits and accept or reject the same at its sole discretion.

COSTS TO PROPOSE

COMMERCE will not be liable for any costs incurred by the Proposer in preparation of a Proposal submitted in response to this RFP, travel to or conduct of a presentation, or any other activities related to responding to this RFP.

NO OBLIGATION TO CONTRACT

This RFP does not obligate the state of Washington or COMMERCE to contract for services specified herein.

REJECTION OF PROPOSALS

COMMERCE reserves the right at its sole discretion to reject any and all Proposals received without penalty and not to issue a contract as a result of this RFP.

COMMITMENT OF FUNDS

The Director of COMMERCE or delegate is the only individual who may legally commit COMMERCE to the expenditures of funds for a contract resulting from this RFP. No services may begin and no cost chargeable to the proposed contract may be incurred before receipt of a fully executed contract.

ELECTRONIC PAYMENT

The state of Washington prefers to utilize electronic payment in its transactions. The successful Contractor must have or obtain a Statewide Vendor Number (SWV) from the Office of Financial Management to be paid by COMMERCE. For more information, visit: www.ofm.wa.gov.

INSURANCE COVERAGE

The Contractor is to furnish COMMERCE with a certificate(s) of insurance executed by a duly authorized representative of each insurer, showing compliance with the insurance requirements set forth within the contract if requested.

The Contractor shall, at its own expense, obtain and keep in force insurance coverage which shall be maintained in full force and effect during the term of the contract. The Contractor shall furnish evidence in the form of a Certificate of Insurance that insurance shall be provided, and, if requested, a copy shall be forwarded to COMMERCE within fifteen (15) days of the contract effective date. Standard insurance requirements are included within the example contract and its special terms and conditions attached as Exhibit E.

3. PROPOSAL CONTENTS

To be responsive, Proposals must contain all eight items below, written in English, and submitted electronically to the RFP Coordinator in the following order:

1. Cover Sheet required

2. Certifications and Assurances (Exhibit A to this RFP) required

3. Workers’ Rights Certification (Exhibit B to this RFP) required

4. Prior Business/Employees with Washington State (Exhibit C to this RFP) required

5. Technical Proposal (scored and required)

6. Management Proposal (scored and required)

7. Partnerships (scored and required)

8. Budget and Cost Proposal (Exhibit D to this RFP) required

Proposals must provide information in the same order as presented in this document with the same headings. This will not only be helpful to the evaluators of the Proposal, but should also assist the Proposer in preparing a thorough response.

Items marked “Required” must be included as part of the Proposal to be considered responsive, however, these items are not scored. Items marked “scored” are those that are awarded points as part of the evaluation conducted by the evaluation team.

Cover Sheet (REQUIRED)

PROPOSER INFORMATION

Does your organization have 5+ years providing direct services to youth and young adults experiencing homelessness in the Seattle area (REQUIRED)

☐ Yes ☐ No If Yes, how many years:

Contacts

Subgrantee 1 Information (if applicable)

Summary of subgrantee’s primary responsibilities (50 words maximum)

Subgrantee 2 Information (if applicable)

Summary of subgrantee’s primary responsibilities (50 words maximum)

Subgrantee 3 Information (if applicable)

Summary of subgrantee’s primary responsibilities (50 words maximum)

References (REQUIRED) List names, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of at least one (1) and up to three (3) business references for the Applicant and/or the lead staff person for whom work has been accomplished and briefly describe the relationship to the Applicant. Do not include COMMERCE staff as references. By submitting an application, the Applicant and any partners or agents authorize COMMERCE to contact these references and others, who from COMMERCE’s perspective, may have pertinent information. COMMERCE may evaluate and contact references at COMMERCE’s discretion.

Applicant Reference 1

Relationship to Applicant:

Applicant Reference 2

Relationship to Applicant:

Applicant Reference 3

Relationship to Applicant:

CERTIFICATIONS AND ASSURANCES (REQUIRED)

The Certifications and Assurances form (Exhibit A to this RFP) must be signed and dated by a person authorized to legally bind the Proposer to a contractual relationship, e.g., the President or Executive Director if a corporation, the managing partner if a partnership, or the proprietor if a sole proprietorship. Proposers wishing to submit any proposed contract edits must indicate so on this form (see Section 2.14).

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL (REQUIRED and SCORED) The Technical Proposal must contain a comprehensive description of services including the following elements:

The Technical Proposal must contain a comprehensive description of services including the following elements:

1: Project Approach and Methodology Please describe your organization’s philosophical approach to working with young people, especially those navigating systems of marginalization (e.g., homelessness, substance use, carceral involvement). Be sure to address:

· Your core values and beliefs about young people.

· How does your organization view youth and young adult development, leadership, and autonomy?

· What informs your work (e.g., harm reduction, positive youth development, healing-centered engagement, etc.)?

· What you propose to do with the funds provided by Doorway.

· What specific activities, roles, or programs are you planning to implement?

· How will these efforts reflect your philosophical approach?

· How your proposed project responds to Doorway’s goals.

· How do you see your work aligning with Doorway’s commitment to co-creation, equity, and youth-centered engagement?

· How will youth or young adults be involved in the design, implementation, and evaluation of your project?

· How will you prepare and support your team to effectively meet the needs of the community? What trainings do you provide your team?

· Please describe how your organization is prepared to adapt its approach in response to community feedback.

· Please include detail for us to understand not just what you plan to do, but why and how you’ll do it—and how it reflects your organization’s broader mission and day-to-day practices.

2. Work Plan Please describe how you plan to carry out the project you’ve proposed. This section should include a clear detailed outline of the specific tasks, services, and activities your team will implement with the funds provided.

Be sure to include:

· Key project milestones or phases

· Roles and responsibilities (including any youth or community partners involved)

· Any anticipated involvement or coordination with UW Doorway or COMMERCE staff

· What success will look like and how you’ll know you’re on track You are also encouraged to share any creative approaches or innovative strategies you plan to use, especially those that reflect your values and enhance the project’s impact. If helpful, you may include supporting documentation (e.g., visuals, schedules, examples of past work).

This section should give us a strong sense of how you’ll move from vision to action—and how your team will hold and implement the work on the ground.

3. Project Schedule Provide a project schedule or timeline that outlines key phases, milestones, and deliverables. Make sure your schedule reflects the overall scope and timeline of the project and demonstrates how you will ensure timely completion of any required deliverables.

You may submit a visual (e.g., Gantt chart, calendar, table) or a narrative timeline.

4. Outcomes and Measurement Please describe what outcomes or impacts you hope to achieve through this project. We expect the organization to be accountable to the communities that they are serving.

· What change are you hoping to see for participants, communities, or systems?

· How will you track your progress toward these outcomes?

· What tools, methods, or feedback mechanisms will you use to monitor and evaluate your work?

· How will you share and report these findings with partners, University of Washington Doorway Team?

· How will you be accountable to the communities that you are serving?

Where possible, include both quantitative and qualitative indicators of success.

5. Risks and Mitigation Identify any potential risks that could impact the success of your project (e.g., staffing, recruitment, burnout, timing, external factors, operational costs, etc. ).

For each risk, please describe:

· Why it’s important to consider

· What you’ll do to minimize or monitor the risk

· How and when you’ll communicate risk updates to the University of Washington Doorway team and the Department of Commerce.

We understand risk is part of innovative work—what matters most is how you plan to navigate it.

6. Deliverables List and describe the specific deliverables you will produce under this contract.

These may include (but are not limited to):

· Written reports, tools, or resources

· Trainings or events

· Creative products or documentation

· Evaluation summaries or presentations

· Providing on-site, location based spaces for drop-in services, programming and resources must be included (see

Each deliverable should tie clearly to the objectives outlined in Section 1.2: Objectives and Scope of Work.

MANAGEMENT PROPOSAL (SCORED)

1. Project Team Structure/Internal Controls - Provide a description of the proposed project team structure and internal controls to be used during the course of the project, including any subcontractors. Provide an organizational chart of your firm indicating lines of authority for personnel involved in performance of this potential contract and relationships of this staff to other programs or functions of the firm. This chart must also show lines of authority to the next senior level of management. Include who within the firm will have prime responsibility and final authority for the work.

2. Staff Qualifications/Experience - Identify staff (including already existing and To be Named) including subcontractors, who will be assigned to the potential contract, indicating the responsibilities and qualifications of such personnel, and include the amount of time each will be assigned to the project.

3. Experience of Applicant- Indicate the experience the Applicant and any subcontractors have serving youth and young adults; providing housing services to people experiencing homelessness; mitigating family conflict and promoting family stability and resiliency; applying best practices of Trauma Informed Care, positive youth development, cultural humility and harm reduction in working with youth and young adults; and other relevant experience that indicates the qualifications of the Applicant, and any subcontractors, for the performance of the potential contract.

C. Related Information (MANDATORY – See Exhibit C)

1. If the Proposer or any known subcontractor contracted with the state of Washington during the past 24 months, indicate the name of the agency, contract number, project description and/or other information available to identify the contract.

2. If any member of the Proposer’s staff or subcontractor’s staff was an employee of the state of Washington during the past 24 months, or is currently a Washington State employee, identify the individual by name, the agency previously or currently employed by, job title or position held and separation date.

3. If the Proposer has had any contract terminated for default in the last five years, describe such incident. Termination for default, also called termination for cause, is defined as notice to stop contract work for reasons related to contract performance and/or compliance and the termination was either (a) not litigated due to inaction on the part of the Proposer, or (b) litigated and such litigation determined that the Proposer was in default.

4. Submit full details of the terms for default including the other party's name, address, and phone number. Present the Proposer’s position on the matter. COMMERCE will evaluate the facts and may, at its sole discretion, reject the proposal on the grounds of the past experience. If no such termination for default has been experienced by the Proposer in the past five years, so indicate.

PARTNERSHIPS (SCORED)

1. Describe how the applicant will ensure strong collaboration with service providers and community-based organizations that have a presence in and around the University District. Describe any current/future partnerships that will support this project. Provide any MOUs, letters of commitment, and letters of support. Organizations demonstrating strong partnerships and applying with other entities will be prioritized.

2. Describe how the applicant will ensure strong collaboration with the University of Washington, the Doorway community advisory board, and community stakeholders on this project. Describe any existing partnerships with the UW, and in the general community.

BUDGET and COST PROPOSAL: EXHIBIT D (SCORED) The total amount proposed must not exceed the amount specified in Section 1.4 to be considered responsive to this RFP.

The evaluation process is designed to award this procurement not necessarily to the Proposer of least cost, but rather to the Proposer whose Proposal best meets the requirements of this RFP. However, Proposers are encouraged to submit Proposals which are consistent with state government efforts to conserve resources.

Identify all costs in U.S. dollars including expenses to be charged for performing the services necessary to accomplish the objectives of the contract. The Proposer is to submit a fully detailed budget including staff costs and any expenses necessary to accomplish the tasks and to produce the deliverables under the contract. Proposers are required to collect and pay Washington state sales and use taxes if applicable.

Costs for work to be completed by subcontractors are to be broken out separately.

4. EVALUATION AND CONTRACT AWARD

EVALUATION PROCEDURE

Responsive Proposals will be evaluated strictly in accordance with the requirements stated in this RFP and any addenda issued. The evaluation of Proposals will be accomplished by one or more evaluation team(s) designated by COMMERCE, which will determine the ranking of the proposals.

COMMERCE, in its sole discretion, may elect to invite top-scoring Proposers as finalists for a virtual presentation or interview.

The RFP Coordinator may contact the Proposer for clarification of any portion of their Proposal. Proposers are not permitted to submit, resubmit, correct, or change any materials of any kind after the date and time stated in Section 2.5 SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS.

EVALUATION BREAKDOWN

The following weighting will be assigned to each proposal section for evaluation purposes. Subsections may or may not be of equal weight.

Technical Proposal

60 points

Project Schedule Outcomes and Measurement Risks 10 points 10 points 10 points

Management Proposal

30 points

Partnerships

20 Points

Cost Proposal

10 Points

TOTAL

120 POINTS

Workers’ Rights Certification Those Proposers that certify they do not require their employees to sign an individual arbitration clause as a condition of employment will receive an extra 5% of their awarded points added to their final score (see Exhibit B).

COMMERCE reserves the right to award the contract(s) to the Proposer(s) whose Proposal is deemed to be in the best interest of COMMERCE and the state of Washington.

NOTIFICATION TO PROPOSERS

COMMERCE will notify the Apparent Successful Contractor(s) of their selection in writing upon completion of the evaluation process. Proposers who were not selected for further negotiation or award will be notified separately. Notification may also be made to the COMMERCE public website, Washington Electronic Business Solution (WEBS), or other publicly accessible locations.

DEBRIEFING OF UNSUCCESSFUL PROPOSERS

Any Proposer who has submitted a Proposal and received notice that they were not selected for contract negotiation may request a debriefing. The request for a debriefing conference must be received by the RFP Coordinator within three (3) business days after the Unsuccessful Proposer Notification is e-mailed to the Proposer. The debriefing must be scheduled within three (3) business days of the request.

Discussion at the debriefing conference is strictly limited to the following:

· Evaluation and scoring of that Proposer’s Proposal;

· Any written comments from evaluators related to that Proposer;

· Review of Proposer’s final score in comparison with the other final scores without identifying the other Proposers or reviewing their Proposals.

Comparisons between Proposals or evaluations of the other Proposals is not allowed. COMMERCE will not discuss any items other than the three bullet points above. Debriefing conferences may be conducted on the telephone or by other electronic means and will be scheduled for a maximum of thirty (30) minutes. COMMERCE reserves the right to end a debriefing for any reason.

PROTEST PROCEDURE

Protests may be filed only by Proposers who submitted a response to this RFP and who have participated in a debriefing conference. Upon completing the debriefing conference, the Proposer is allowed five (5) business days to file a protest with the RFP Coordinator. Protests must be received by the RFP Coordinator no later than 5:00pm Pacific time on the fifth business day following the debriefing. Protests must be submitted by email. Proposers may choose to copy COMMERCE’S Central Contracts Office at centralcontracts@commerce.wa.gov. Do not copy any other COMMERCE staff.

Proposers protesting this RFP shall follow the procedures described below. Protests that do not follow these procedures will not be considered. This protest procedure constitutes the sole administrative remedy available to Proposers under this RFP.

All protests must be in writing, addressed to the RFP Coordinator, and signed by the protesting party or an authorized agent. The protest must state the RFP number, the grounds for the protest from the list below with specific facts, and complete statements of the action(s) being protested. A description of the relief or corrective action being requested should also be included.

Only protests stipulating an issue of fact concerning the following subjects shall be considered:

· A matter of bias, discrimination, or conflict of interest on the part of an evaluator;

· Errors in computing the score;

· Non-compliance with procedures described in this RFP or COMMERCE policy.

Protests not based on procedural matters will not be considered. Protests will be dismissed as without merit if they address issues such as an evaluator’s professional judgment on the quality of a proposal, or COMMERCE’S assessment of its own and/or other agencies’ needs or requirements.

Scores received are not a valid basis of protest and will be dismissed as without merit unless included with facts supporting bias, discrimination, or conflict of interest on the part of an evaluator.

Upon receipt of a protest, a protest review will be held by COMMERCE. COMMERCE’S Chief Contracts Officer, or other employee delegated by the Director who was not involved in the award process, will consider the record along with all available facts and issue a decision within ten (10) business days of receipt of the protest. If additional time is required, the protesting party will be notified of the delay.

In the event a protest may directly impact the actual interest of another Proposer, such Proposer may be given an opportunity to submit its views and any relevant information on the protest.

The final determination of the protest shall:

· Find the protest lacking in merit and uphold COMMERCE’S action; or

· Find only technical or harmless errors in COMMERCE’S process and determine COMMERCE to be in substantial compliance and reject the protest; or

· Find merit in the protest and provide COMMERCE options which may include:

· Correct the error(s) and re-evaluate all proposals, or

· Cancel this RFP and begin a new process, or

· Make other findings and determine other courses of action as appropriate.

If COMMERCE does not find merit in the protest, COMMERCE may enter into a contract with the Apparent Successful Contractor(s). If the protest is determined to have merit, one of the options above will be taken.

5. RFP EXHIBITS

Exhibit C Prior Business/Employees with Washington State