Child Care Rate Survey & Cost of Care RFP

The South Dakota Department of Social Services is soliciting proposals through a Request for Proposal (RFP 19756) for a vendor to conduct a Child Care Market Rate Survey (MRS) and Narrow Cost Analysis (NCA) to establish reimbursement rates for the Child Care Assistance Program. The procurement seeks comprehensive services including survey design and implementation, provider engagement and training, data collection with a minimum 75% response rate requirement, statistical analysis, rate table generation, cost estimation tool development, and stakeholder presentations. The vendor must deliver detailed reports for internal agency use and simplified public summaries, along with expertise in survey methodology, multiple cost/budget estimations, and budget projection tools based on the state's current methodology and rate regions. Key qualifications required include demonstrated experience with similar projects, submission of at least three relevant references, and compliance with federal requirements under the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), including the Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment. The vendor must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including $1,000,000 commercial general liability, professional liability, business automobile liability, and workers' compensation insurance. Critical deadlines include a letter of intent due April 2, 2026, proposal submission deadline of May 5, 2026 at 5 PM CST via Secured File Transfer Protocol (SFTP), and an anticipated award decision on June 9, 2026. The project timeline extends from vendor meetings in July 2026 through survey completion by October/November 2026, with data cleaning and analysis continuing through December 2026 and final results and reports due in January 2027. Inquiries regarding the RFP must be submitted to Kirsten Blachford at Kirsten.Blachford@state.sd.us with subject line "RFP19756" prior to the specified deadline, with all inquiries and responses posted on the state's e-procurement system and DSS website.

The RFP does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions on organizational types eligible to respond, indicating the procurement is open to qualified vendors generally. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the available materials. Vendors may be required to provide independently audited financial statements as part of the evaluation process. The total contract value is not specified in the RFP, as pricing will be negotiated based on the vendor's cost proposal submitted with technical qualifications; however, proposals must include detailed work plans, schedules, methodology descriptions, and cost breakdowns identifying personnel and staff hours, particularly for statistical analysis work. The contract will be issued for an initial one-year term ending May 31, 2027, with an option for a six-month extension at the state's discretion. This federally funded project requires compliance with all applicable federal requirements and will be funded through continued legislative appropriations. The state reserves the right to negotiate with qualified vendors and reject any or all proposals received.