MW26-14 Utah Peer Support Conference

The State of Utah Division of Purchasing, on behalf of the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), is seeking qualified vendors through a Request for Statements of Qualifications (RFSQ) under Utah Procurement Code 63G-6a Part 15 to plan, coordinate, and host annual peer-run conferences for peer support specialists and family peer support specialists over a five-year contract term. The primary deliverables include organizing hybrid conferences accommodating a minimum of 250 participants annually, with one half-day and one full-day session format, establishing monthly planning committees during the six months preceding each conference with mandatory participation from DHHS staff, peer-run agency representatives, and subject matter experts, creating and administering post-event evaluation surveys, developing pre-event marketing materials, and submitting final reports within 60 working days of each conference demonstrating that at least 70 percent of participants report increased confidence and competency. Mandatory vendor qualifications require a minimum of two years of experience as a business engaged with the mental health or substance use recovery community including peer recovery support specialists and at least two years of experience providing education or trainings to adults. The evaluation scoresheet establishes eight scoreable technical criteria totaling 1,000 possible points, assessing vendor experience in conference planning for 250+ professionals (44 points), survey administration (12 points), marketing materials creation (12 points), data tracking and maintenance (12 points), staffing and volunteer coordination (30 points), planning committee establishment (30 points), breakout session content compliance (30 points), and federal funding requirements compliance with budgetary stewardship (30 points), with vendors required to achieve a minimum of 600 points to advance. The statement of qualifications is due on March 17, 2026, with no pricing information to be included in submissions; the highest-ranking vendor will be selected for direct negotiation of fair and reasonable compensation.

No set-aside designations, disadvantaged enterprise restrictions, or incumbent vendor information is specified in this solicitation. The contract is funded through DHHS's Mental Health Block Grant with a total budget of $150,000 over the five-year term, equating to $30,000 annually, though with DHHS permission the awarded vendor may conduct limited fundraising to cover conference expenses ineligible under federal grant restrictions. DHHS reserves the right to identify and integrate alternative funding sources during the contract period, with any funding increases above the initial $150,000 requiring approval from the State of Utah's Chief Procurement Officer and a formal contract amendment. Award requires successful execution of a fully executed purchase order or contract within 90 days of notification; if fair and reasonable compensation terms cannot be agreed upon with the highest-ranked vendor, the state may proceed with negotiations with the next highest-ranked vendor. Contract requirements include maintaining minimum commercial general liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence, transferring intellectual property ownership to DHHS, complying with state data protection and confidentiality obligations, and maintaining records for six years post-completion. Vendors must submit all required documentation electronically through the U3P platform and monitor for addendums and answered questions prior to the March 17, 2026 submission deadline.