Iowa GROWS Program Evaluator

The State of Iowa, Department of Administrative Services, is requesting proposals for an external evaluator for the Iowa GROWS Program, a State Personnel Development Grant addressing special education teacher shortages, with proposals due November 12, 2026 at 2:00 PM CST.

The scope encompasses data collection and analysis supporting three primary grant objectives: expanding career pathways for special education licensure, building educator capacity through an online repository of evidence-based professional development courses, and establishing a rigorous evaluation and reporting system for continuous improvement. The evaluator will support the five-year grant awarded in August 2026.

The initial contract term is one year from the date of award and successful negotiation, with provisions for renewal by mutual agreement for up to four additional one-year terms, not to exceed five years total. The work is classified under NIGP commodity code 91838 (Education and Training Consulting).

Respondents must submit separate Technical and Cost Proposals along with Form 22 regarding confidential treatment of information. Respondents must certify that they are not a Prohibited Company as defined in Iowa Code section 12K.1(4). If amendments are posted by the issuing officer, respondents must certify their proposals and resubmit.

Payment terms are Net 60. Respondents must submit quarterly sales reports in Microsoft Excel format within thirty days following the end of each calendar quarter.

The primary contact is Katelyn Howells at katelyn.howells@das.iowa.gov or +1 515-721-7856. No specific contract value or funding amount is identified in the solicitation materials.