FY27 0794 Hate Crime Prevention

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is soliciting competitive proposals for FY27 0794 Hate Crime Prevention, a state-funded grant to support programming designed to prevent hate crimes and incidents of bias in public schools under M.G.L. Chapter 22C, Section 32, with a posted and due date of September 11, 2026.

DESE retains discretion to reject any and all bids, award based on bid quality and service acceptability, request personal interviews prior to contract execution, request bid modifications, and award multiple vendors under a single Departmental Master Agreement. All materials and deliverables developed using Commonwealth funds become DESE property and may be posted on the DESE website or distributed beyond the contract term. Vendors must obtain all necessary permissions and licenses for any third-party intellectual property to permit DESE full use.

All digital deliverables must meet Commonwealth Digital Accessibility Standards, including Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1 levels A and AA, with vendors cooperating in accessibility testing at no additional cost. Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) background checks are mandatory for any vendor staff or subcontractors working with students, in educational settings, or at DESE offices. Vendors must notify DESE before making staffing changes to permit CORI checks prior to new personnel commencing work and must report any issues affecting personnel eligibility; contract execution is contingent upon completion of all required CORI checks.

Procurements comply with Massachusetts procurement laws overseen by the Operational Services Division and federal procedures under 34 CFR Part 74.40-8 and Part 80.36 for federally funded projects.