IEP Meeting Facilitator Trainer

The Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Special Education, is requesting quotations for IEP Meeting Facilitator and Trainer services, with proposals due October 1, 2026 at 2:00 PM through eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA), and questions due September 29, 2026 at 2:00 PM. Award will be made to the responsive and responsible bidder meeting all mandatory requirements and submitting the lowest price.

Mandatory qualifications include at least five years' experience working with local educational agencies, infant and toddler programs, and families of children with disabilities; demonstrated knowledge of conflict resolution and meeting facilitation practices; experience recruiting and training professionals; ability to assign facilitators statewide; and excellent communication and organizational skills. The contractor must complete training in IEP Team Meeting Facilitation and remain neutral and independent from school districts and parents.

The scope requires developing and delivering a four-hour research-based training course covering meeting facilitation, deescalation and mediation strategies, and relevant IDEA statutory and regulatory requirements; recruiting facilitators through local mediation centers; identifying subject matter experts to deliver training; conducting statewide trainings for identified facilitators; developing post-facilitation surveys to collect feedback from facilitators, parents, and local educational agencies; and establishing systems for requesting facilitated meetings and assigning facilitators. The contractor must maintain detailed data systems tracking facilitation requests, meetings scheduled and completed, outcomes, and active facilitators, and submit monthly and quarterly reports to MSDE.

The total contract value cannot exceed $50,000, based on 650 estimated hours of work. The contract term runs from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027, with work conducted virtually and in local educational agencies and programs throughout Maryland. Invoices must be submitted monthly within 60 days of contract termination and include detailed supporting documentation. The RFQ encourages responses from small, minority, and veteran-owned businesses, and the state reserves the right to award contracts to multiple consultants.