Madison’s Northside: A Safe and Thriving Community Youth Employment and Leadership Development

The City of Madison's Community Development Division is soliciting proposals through RFP #8718-2018 for youth-focused programming on Madison's Northside, funded by a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The procurement seeks qualified nonprofit organizations to implement four distinct program types: youth employment services for ages 14-15 (prioritizing juvenile justice system-involved youth), youth leadership development through Peace Projects or Non-Violence Clubs, expansion of pro-social activities with cross-generational engagement, and formation of a Northside Youth Employer Coalition to support business engagement in youth employment. Proposals must be submitted electronically by 12:00 p.m. on March 29, 2018, with application workshops scheduled for March 1 and March 12, 2018. Applicant presentations are anticipated for the week of April 9, 2018, with Common Council approval targeted for May 15, 2018, and award notification on May 17, 2018. The evaluation criteria will assess organizational capacity, project alignment with RFP guidelines, cultural relevance, language access, violence prevention strategies, community engagement, collaboration, and budget adequacy, with a total of 90 possible points.

Eligible applicants must be nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status or groups that can secure such organizations as fiscal agents. The total funding available for allocation is approximately $278,000, distributed across program categories: up to $88,000 for youth employment services, up to $75,000 for youth leadership peace projects, up to $95,000 for youth program expansion, and up to $20,000 for the youth employer coalition. Personnel costs must comply with the City of Madison Living Wage requirement of $13.01 per hour, with exemptions for youth under 18 and employment training participants. Federal funds cannot generally be used for food expenses. The contract performance periods will span approximately six months in 2018 and nine months in 2019, with all programs concluding no later than September 30, 2019. The City reserves the right to negotiate final contract terms, including award amounts, with selected proposers. Applicants must also address program accessibility, outreach strategies, staffing positions, demographic data, poverty and racial equity considerations, and demonstrate plans to serve and reduce disparities among underserved populations.