MW26-13-1 Training for Substance Use Prevention Professionals

The State of Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), through the State of Utah Division of Purchasing, is conducting a Request for Statement of Qualifications (RFSQ) under Utah Procurement Code 63G-6a Part 15 to procure workforce development training services for substance use prevention professionals. This five-year contract solicitation (MW26-13-1) seeks a vendor to deliver the Universal Prevention Curriculum Coordinator Series (UPC-C) professional education program developed by Zili Sloboda. The contractor must deliver a minimum of two training courses annually, with each course consisting of 30 hours of instruction delivered either virtually or in-person, and must cover six core subject areas: evidence-based prevention frameworks, community implementation systems, family prevention, school-based prevention, environmental policies and strategies, and media-based prevention. Required deliverables include participant manuals for each module, attendance records, pre- and post-test administration, course evaluation surveys, quarterly progress meetings with DHHS staff, and annual reports due by June 30th each year documenting trainings offered, participants trained, and evaluation results. Contractor qualifications require that staff collectively possess a doctoral degree in behavioral health, research, or education; demonstrated experience providing training on prevention science as applied to substance use; and expertise in delivering evidence-based curricula addressing prevention knowledge and competencies. Performance metrics require training a minimum of 10 participants per course offering and demonstrating increased knowledge through pre- and post-testing. The evaluation scoresheet establishes six weighted technical criteria totaling 600 possible points, with a minimum threshold of 390 points (65 percent) for advancement, with the highest-weighted criterion being quality of training model and trainer qualifications at 45 points (37.5 percent). Submissions must be received by April 1, 2026, via email to mwoodward@utah.gov with the subject line "MW26-13-1 Statement of Qualifications submission," with late submissions rejected outright. Vendors should not include pricing information in their qualifications statements, as compensation will be determined through negotiation based on fair and reasonable rates.

The solicitation contains no identified set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises or other restricted vendor categories, and no incumbent vendors or current contractors are referenced in the procurement documents. Prospective vendors must comply with various statutory requirements including anti-boycott provisions, restrictions on forced labor, and prohibitions on engagement with restricted foreign entities, and must enroll in and maintain Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) approval prior to invoice submission. Contractors must maintain commercial general liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 aggregate, as well as commercial automobile liability insurance of $1,000,000 combined single limit, and must register with E-Verify. All work product, deliverables, and intellectual property developed exclusively under this contract constitute works made for hire owned by DHHS, though contractors retain pre-existing intellectual property and background intellectual property. The vendor with the highest ranking will be selected to negotiate a contract at compensation determined to be fair and reasonable; if negotiations fail with the highest-ranked vendor, the state may proceed with the next highest-ranked vendor. Specific budget allocations and funding amounts are provided in Attachment C of the solicitation documents, with invoices submitted monthly through Utah's electronic billing system for allowable costs only, and any unexpended funds at the end of the funding period will lapse with no further claim by the contractor.