2026 Education Symposium and CANDO Conferences

The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) of Maryland, on behalf of the Foster Care Court Improvement Program (FCCIP) Child Welfare Education Workgroup, is soliciting proposals under Solicitation Number K26-0053-25 for a single facility capable of hosting two separate 2026 events: the Education Symposium scheduled for September 22, 2026, and the Child Abuse, Neglect and Dependency Options (CANDO) Judicial Conference scheduled for October 26-27, 2026. The procuring agency seeks a secure, ADA-compliant facility located within 75 miles of 187 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Annapolis, Maryland 21401, with preference for scenic locations, capable of accommodating 225 attendees with 35 overnight guests for the Education Symposium and 125 attendees with 75 overnight guests for the CANDO Conference. Required deliverables and qualifications include single-occupancy overnight accommodations with specified amenities, casual gathering spaces, large and small private meeting/event spaces with advanced audiovisual equipment capable of hybrid sessions and recording, full-service business centers, fitness centers, on-site parking without shuttle requirements, and comprehensive food services including breakfast, lunch, snacks, refreshments, and dinner with special dietary accommodations (Kosher, vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free). The successful offeror must provide a dedicated event coordinator and at least two on-site technical support staff members for each event duration, maintain law enforcement support availability upon request, and comply with Maryland and Judiciary COVID protocols including social distancing and sanitizing provisions. Evaluation criteria are primarily price-based, followed by the extent to which shortlisted sites meet RFP requirements following mandatory site visits and overall proposal compliance. The proposal submission deadline is May 6, 2026, with important dates including the pre-proposal conference, site visits, and question deadline available on the Maryland Judiciary Procurement Portal, and interested parties should contact Procurement Officer Aarica Dupree at Aarica.dupree@mdcourts.gov or 410-260-2539 for details.

This procurement contains no specified set-aside designations, though the Bid/Price Proposal Form includes optional certification options for Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Veteran Small Business Enterprise (VSBE) status. All offerors must be registered with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), in good standing with current annual report filings, not in arrears on any obligations to the State of Maryland, and compliant with Maryland Election Law Article 14-101 through 14-109 regarding political contribution disclosure for contracts valued at $200,000 or more annually. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the procurement documents, and no existing infrastructure or technology integration requirements are specified. The contract term extends from the date of issuance through project completion or December 30, 2026, whichever occurs sooner, with payment to be made within thirty days of deliverable acceptance and invoice receipt. No specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the RFP; however, contract terms will be governed by either the Standard Contract Agreement Sample for values exceeding $100,000 or the Standard Terms and Conditions for Small Procurements for values below $100,000, with the AOC retaining the right to award in part or in whole and reserving the unilateral right to extend the contract at its discretion. The AOC will not reimburse offerors for costs incurred in proposal preparation or presentation, and successful offerors must complete a Contract Affidavit and Non-Disclosure Agreement prior to contract execution.