Homeless Training Academy
Closed State & local contract opportunity Posted
- Solicitation number
- CS27-2
- State
- Utah
- Responses due
Opportunity facts
- NIGP codes
Opportunity details come from utah.bonfirehub.com. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Utah Department of Government Operations, Division of Purchasing and General Services is proceeding with a sole-source award to Empathy Studios, LLC for homeless training services for library staff, with a public comment period ending July 22, 2026. This is a Notice of Intent to Award a Contract Without Engaging in a Standard Procurement Process under the Utah Procurement Code, bypassing competitive bidding based on sole-source availability.
The scope is the Homeless Library Training Institute, a specialized training program for librarians and library staff serving patrons experiencing homelessness. The offering consists of a 4.5-hour core de-escalation training module, 48 recorded training sessions covering sensitive topics, and new monthly live virtual sessions with archived recordings. Sessions are approximately one hour in length and include supplemental learning materials. Ryan Dowd is the creator and instructor of core sessions and monthly webinars. Training will be delivered through Niche Academy, the State Library's existing learning management system subscription, making it accessible to librarians and library staff across Utah.
The estimated contract value is $5,865.00 with no freight costs. The Division of Purchasing determined that no competing vendors offer comparable archived and ongoing monthly training sessions designed specifically for library professionals serving homeless patrons. Market research through Niche Academy and online searches confirmed no alternative providers of this specialized training combination; while general homeless services training exists, this is the only program tailored to library settings with the archived and monthly live format.
Interested and qualified vendors may challenge the sole-source determination by July 22, 2026 by submitting documentation demonstrating alternative sources, comparable or superior alternatives meeting specifications, and relevant cost comparisons. All contractors must certify compliance with Utah Code 63G-27 regarding economic boycotts and boycotts of the State of Israel, with ongoing certification and notification obligations throughout the contract term. Additional legislative appropriations may be added if funding becomes available for purposes identified in the scope of work.
Opportunity text
NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD A CONTRACT WITHOUT ENGAGING IN A STANDARD PROCUREMENT PROCESS The Division of Purchasing is publishing this notice pursuant to the Utah Procurement Code. The Conducting Procurement Unit submitted this form to the Division of Purchasing claiming that it intends to award a contract without competition if it is determined by the Division of Purchasing, in writing, that: - there is only one source for the procurement item; - transitional costs are a significant consideration in selecting a procurement item; or - the award of a contract is under circumstances, described in rules adopted by the applicable rulemaking authority, that make awarding the contract through a standard procurement process impractical and not in the best interest of the procurement unit. In the Files section the Conducting Procurement Unit has identified its justification for wanting to award a contract without engaging in standard procurement process. You MUST read all of the documentation in the Files.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| 3-Part 8 Form- Public Posting.pdf | ||
| 1-Claim of Business Confidentiality Updated.pdf.pdf | ||
| 2-Part 8 Notice.pdf.pdf |
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