Essential Support Services for Victims of Violence

The City of New Haven, Connecticut, Department of Community Services Administration issued Request for Proposal 2025-RFP-CNH-304 on February 10, 2026, seeking qualified organizations to provide essential support services for victims of violence through a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and violence prevention-focused approach. The procurement specifically targets the Victim Support Services Network (VSSN), established in 2023 as part of the City's broader strategy to address gun violence through community-based organizations' rapid response systems. Eligible service recipients include victims of firearm-related offenses, domestic violence, sexual violence, and other interpersonal or community violence, with particular emphasis on young adults ages 18 to 34. The procured services encompass emergency and ongoing basic needs assistance such as food, clothing, transportation, temporary housing or relocation support, safety planning, and connections to community-based resources, with deliverables requiring culturally responsive and survivor-centered practices that prioritize stabilization and recovery pathways. The evaluation criteria are weighted across four categories of 25 points each: proposed solution clarity and focus, company staffing assigned to the project, budget realism and transparency, and organization background and capacity, evaluated on a pass/fail basis. The procurement schedule includes a non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting on February 17, 2026, at 1:00 PM; a question submission deadline of February 24, 2026, at 5:00 PM; and a response submission deadline of March 3, 2026, at 11:00 AM via the City's eProcurement Portal. The contract term is one year with one optional one-year extension subject to the Purchasing Agent's approval, requiring Mayor approval if valued at $25,000 or more and Board of Alders approval if exceeding one year in duration.

There are no indicated set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises, minority-owned businesses, or women-owned businesses specifically identified in the RFP; however, contractors must comply with the City's Living Wage Ordinance if the contract exceeds $25,000 annually, Executive Order 11246, the Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act, and equal employment opportunity and ban-the-box hiring standards. Proposers must submit responses in two separate parts—a technical proposal without pricing and a cost proposal with detailed pricing—with all costs including labor, materials, travel, and incidental expenses included in the price proposal on a firm, fixed basis, though limited price adjustments may be considered if material or labor costs fluctuate more than 20 percent during the contract term at the City's sole discretion. Contractors must maintain general liability insurance of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million combined aggregate and comply with extensive federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) requirements if funded through State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, including indirect cost caps at 10 percent of the total award, quarterly reporting, SAM.gov registration, and compliance with 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance) and Treasury regulations. No incumbent vendor or current contractor is identified in the procurement documents. The specific award value or budget range is not disclosed in the RFP documentation; however, the City has developed separate contract templates for ARPA awards of $100,000 or less and greater than $100,000, with all ARPA funds required to be obligated by December 31, 2024, and expended by December 31, 2026.