ADES - FY2019 - Early Intervention - R17 Southern Apache

The Arizona Department of Economic Security (ADES) issued Request for Proposal BPM000600 to procure team-based early intervention services for infants and toddlers, birth through three years of age, with developmental delays and disabilities in the R17 Southern Apache geographic service region, spanning Apache County and Phoenix City. The solicitation sought qualified vendors to deliver comprehensive services including occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language pathology, developmental special instruction, service coordination, psychology, and social work services through a multidisciplinary team approach, with services targeted to underserved populations in urban and rural areas, families involved with the Department of Child Safety, individuals experiencing homelessness, and those living on tribal lands. Contractors were required to maintain balanced core team staffing with at least one full-time equivalent occupational therapist, physical therapist, speech-language pathologist, and developmental special instructionist to serve an estimated 100-125 families, with an anticipated annual caseload of approximately 21 children. All contractor personnel were required to be AHCCCS registered, obtain National Provider Identifiers, maintain appropriate licensure and certifications, pass background checks and fingerprinting, comply with extensive federal and state requirements including IDEA Part C regulations, and adhere to fraud prevention protocols and data management requirements. The original proposal due date was March 5, 2019, at 3:00 p.m. Arizona local time, with a pre-offer conference scheduled for February 12, 2019; three solicitation amendments were issued between February 6 and the due date, requiring offerors to resubmit proposals following each amendment. Evaluation criteria, in descending order of importance, consisted of method of approach, experience, and responsiveness of proposal, with contract award anticipated in May 2019 and an anticipated service start date of July 1, 2019. The contract term was one year with an option to renew for up to five years total, with compensation structured as fixed rates per service unit established in the AzEIP Billing Manual, encompassing all direct and indirect costs.

The solicitation documents do not specify set-aside designations or restrictions on the types of organizations eligible to respond, nor do they identify disadvantaged enterprise requirements or incumbent vendors currently providing services in the region. All offerors were required to submit proof of financial stability, current insurance coverage with specific liability limits, background check clearances through the Arizona Central Registry, a completed Business Associate Agreement for HIPAA compliance, and evidence of compliance with performance measures established under IDEA Part C; contractors were also required to obtain a Certificate of Insurance within ten days of award and demonstrate ability to maximize utilization of multiple funding sources including private and public insurance as the payer of last resort. No specific budget ranges or award values are listed in the solicitation documents; pricing was submitted as a flat fee of $1.00 per unit cost in the State's eProcurement system, with detailed budgeting and actual service rates to be determined through the proposal evaluation process and incorporated into the final contract. The state reserved the right to make one or multiple awards; however, it is noted that solicitation BPM000600 for the R17 Southern Apache region has been cancelled, rendering this procurement opportunity no longer available.