Enhanced Communications

The State of Delaware, Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Developmental Disabilities Services, issued a Request for Proposals on May 8, 2026, to procure professional services for Enhanced Communications support serving Deaf individuals receiving residential habilitation services. The vendor will facilitate communication opportunities for 15-25 eligible Deaf service recipients using American Sign Language across all three Delaware counties and provide educational training to Direct Support Professionals regarding Deaf culture and functional ASL vocabulary. Service delivery requirements include conducting in-person facilitated conversations at service recipient homes up to three locations per day, twice weekly (targeting 5-6 homes weekly), for up to eight hours daily, and delivering 20-minute training sessions to residential support staff either in-person or virtually. Vendors must submit hourly rates for services with mileage reimbursement at the State rate of $0.50 per mile and maintain Commercial General Liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence/$3,000,000 aggregate, Workers' Compensation coverage, and Medical/Professional Liability or Errors and Omissions coverage at $1,000,000 per occurrence/$3,000,000 aggregate. All staff must be fluent in ASL, complete background checks, and comply with HIPAA requirements and Delaware licensing provisions, with preference given to candidates with prior experience serving DDDS populations and a person-centered philosophy approach. The State will evaluate proposals based on vendor qualifications, experience with individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities, staff recruitment and training capability, cost effectiveness, and references, rather than lowest cost alone. Critical deadlines include May 22, 2026, at 4:30 PM EDT for submission of questions, a non-mandatory pre-bid meeting on June 10, 2026, at 1:00 PM EDT, a proposal submission deadline of July 8, 2026, at 1:00 PM EDT via the Euna Procurement portal at https://dhss.bonfirehub.com/, and an estimated award notification date of August 31, 2026.

The solicitation does not specify set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises, minority-owned businesses, or other restricted vendor categories, nor does it identify any incumbent vendors or current contractors. The RFP does not indicate specific technological infrastructure or systems requiring integration beyond standard state compliance requirements including HIPAA business associate agreements, Department of Technology and Information standards, and System for Award Management registration with a valid Unique Entity Identifier. No specific contract value or budget range was disclosed in the solicitation materials. The contract term is structured as one initial year with four optional one-year renewal extensions, subject to mutual amendment. Vendor proposals must include a transmittal letter, vendor information forms, non-collusion statement, exceptions form, confidentiality form, minimum three business references of similar size and scope, and detailed pricing information.