Great start to quality resource centers

The Michigan Department of Education, through the Early Childhood Support Network (ECSN), is seeking proposals for Great Start to Quality Resource Centers across four regions: Eastern, Northern, Southeastern, and Western. This procurement aims to establish comprehensive early childhood education support systems that will improve child care quality through resource centers, workforce development, provider databases, and quality rating systems. Eligible organizations will be responsible for implementing coordinated early childhood support services within specific geographic areas, with some recent service area modifications including Genesee moving to the Eastern Resource Center, Ionia to the Western Resource Center, and Branch to the Southeast Resource Center. The Request for Proposals (RFP) was released on March 8, 2021, with a required webinar scheduled for March 22, 2021. Key submission deadlines include letters of intent due March 29, 2021, and final proposals due April 15, 2021. The contract period will run from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2026, with regional board approvals planned for June 1-30, 2021, and statewide award announcements set for July 1, 2021.

Eligible applicants for this opportunity are notably diverse, including Local Education Agencies, Intermediate School Districts, higher education institutions, non-profits, Chambers of Commerce, Community Action Agencies, tribal entities, and consortium partnerships. The program is funded through the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG), with funding amounts contingent upon annual allocations from the Michigan Department of Education. While specific dollar amounts are not explicitly stated, the funding will include quality set-aside and infant-toddler set-aside allocations. No specific incumbent vendors or existing technology integration requirements are mentioned in the documentation. The procurement appears open to a wide range of organizational types, with no explicit set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises. Potential respondents should note that the funding and specific contract requirements may vary based on annual budget allocations, and organizations must demonstrate capacity to provide comprehensive early childhood education support services across their designated regional service areas.