DHS RFP Maternal Child Health Training

The Illinois Department of Human Services, Office of Family and Wellness (OFW), is soliciting competitive proposals through Request for Proposal #B-51623 for a single Training and Support Services Contractor to provide comprehensive training and support services to state and local contracted entities administering nutrition and maternal-child health programs statewide. The contract encompasses the Bureau of Family Nutrition (BFN) and Bureau of Maternal Child Health (BMCH), which oversee programs including WIC, Breastfeeding Promotion and Support (BFPC), Senior/WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (S/WFMNP), and maternal-child health services delivered through health departments, food banks, nonprofits, hospitals, retail grocers, and other partner organizations. The contractor must deliver multiple training modalities including in-person classroom training, virtual classroom training, live and archived webinars, in-person and virtual workshops, and self-paced online training across five Illinois regions; plan and execute biennial statewide conferences and regional workshops; develop and maintain a modern Learning Management System (LMS) and virtual meeting platform capable of supporting up to 1,500 participants with interactive features and full ADA/Section 508 accessibility compliance; conduct needs assessments and program evaluations; and manage all pre- and post-training administrative activities. Training topics must address civil rights, navigation systems, staff roles and responsibilities, nutrition, lactation and breastfeeding support, vendor relations, fiscal management, trauma-informed care, maternal mental health, substance use identification, safe infant sleep environments, and compliance with federal and state regulations. Required minimum staffing includes a dedicated full-time Project Manager, at least one trainer with a Master's degree in Nursing Education, a professionally certified conference planner, a manager/supervisor, an LMS administrator, and administrative support staff, with all vacancies filled within 120 days and new hires meeting qualifications within 90 days of contract commencement. All training curricula and materials developed become the sole property of IDHS and cannot be used outside the project for income generation without prior approval. The contract commences July 1, 2026, and extends through June 30, 2029 (three years), with one optional two-year renewal extending through June 30, 2031, for a maximum total term not exceeding ten years. Questions must be submitted by May 20, 2026, and proposals are due electronically through BidBuy by June 11, 2026. Technical evaluation carries 5,100 points, commitment to diversity accounts for 1,020 points (20 percent of technical score), and pricing evaluation comprises 1,224 points, with a minimum combined technical and diversity score of 4,120 points required for price evaluation consideration.

Vendors must possess active State of Illinois Vendor Registration Numbers and complete all required disclosure forms, including the Vendor Disclosure form (v.26.2), IPG Active Registered Vendor Disclosure Form, and the Commitment to Diversity (C2D) Vendor Answer Sheet, with failure to complete these documents rendering submissions non-responsive and resulting in disqualification. The procurement incorporates Illinois' Commitment to Diversity program, which evaluates vendor commitment across six categories: BEP goal compliance (5 points), subcontracting with women, minority, and disabled-owned businesses (10 points), diversity, equity, and inclusion spending as a percentage of gross revenue (20 points), hours dedicated to DEI promotion activities (20 points), current written DEI policies (10 points), and diversity metrics across staffing levels including governing board, management, senior executives, supervisors, and general staff (35 points). Vendors may claim eligibility for Illinois procurement preferences including resident bidder status, small business status, and disabled veterans status with detailed justification. The contractor must comply with HIPAA regulations for handling protected health information, maintain six-year record retention provisions, and adhere to IT security requirements including SOC 1 Type 2 and SOC 2 Type 2 audits conducted annually at the contractor's expense, encryption of state data using AES-256 standards, and integration with the State Identity and Access Management platform with multifactor authentication. All services must be performed in the United States unless otherwise disclosed, with offerors required to specify service locations and the percentage of contract value attributable to each location. No specific budget or award value is disclosed in the solicitation materials, though the contract is noted as partially federally funded and contingent upon fund availability, with all training services provided at no cost to learners who bear their own travel expenses. A $15 fee applies to the Minority Contractor Opportunity Initiative for awards of $1,000 or more.