Anti-Gun Violence Initiative – Peer Support & Advocacy

The City of St. Petersburg, Florida is soliciting a vendor to provide comprehensive peer support and advocacy services through the Anti-Gun Violence Initiative, known as Safe Futures St. Pete, under Request for Quote (RFQ) No. 26-169. This is a public health and healing-centered, survivor-driven program designed to complement services provided by the St. Petersburg Police Department without involving law enforcement, investigations, or enforcement activities. Deliverables and services include one-on-one peer support for survivors, family and caregiver support, peer-facilitated support groups, hospital and community-based follow-up support, crisis stabilization, systems navigation assistance, community healing activities, and survivor leadership development. Qualified vendors must demonstrate a minimum of five years of applicable experience in completed projects within the past five years, preferably holding bachelor's degrees or higher in fields such as public administration, public policy, social work, community development, or related disciplines; experience providing peer-led support, trauma-informed services, and violence survivor services within community-based settings; and the ability to launch the program within 30 days of contract execution. The evaluation criteria are weighted as follows: qualifications and experience of the firm and staff (35 percent), project approach and capacity (30 percent), cost analysis (20 percent), and business enterprise program outreach and utilization (15 percent). Key personnel and project managers must possess at least five years of experience in similar completed projects and should submit resumes limited to work completed within the past ten years, not exceeding two pages per individual. The submission deadline is March 19, 2026, at 3:00 p.m., with a deadline for questions on March 16, 2026, and all responses must be submitted electronically through the OpenGov Procurement portal as a single continuous PDF document not exceeding 50 pages excluding cover pages and dividers. The initial contract term is one year, with the City retaining options to renew for up to two additional one-year periods contingent upon satisfactory vendor performance.

Vendors must be registered with the Florida Division of Corporations and are encouraged to participate in the small business enterprise (SBE), minority-owned business enterprise (MBE), and women-owned business enterprise (WBE) programs, with these designations weighted at 2 percent each (6 percent total) in the evaluation criteria; however, these certifications are not mandatory for responsive participation. Proposers must provide three professional references with at least one Florida-based client and letters of support from community organizations, healthcare providers, and local government agencies that reference observable outcomes. Any employees working in police facilities must pass a Level 2 background investigation, and vendors must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including commercial general liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, commercial automobile liability of $1,000,000 combined single limit, and workers' compensation as required by Florida law. Subcontractors may be utilized for up to 80 percent of the contract work, and if used to meet SBE percentage requirements, they must be replaced with other SBE subcontractors if substituted unless the prime contractor demonstrates alternative means of meeting SBE requirements. The solicitation does not specify a total funding amount or pricing structure; vendors must submit detailed quotes with unit prices and cost analyses for evaluation. The City reserves the right to reject all submissions, award on a split-order or individual basis, negotiate with the most qualified firm, and terminate the agreement for convenience upon thirty days' written notice or for default if not cured within thirty days.