Notice of Intent to Award RFP 1900000002164 MARE Services

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued RFP 1900000002164 to procure Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) services through a competitive solicitation process. The RFP was posted on SIGMA VSS on June 5, 2019, with proposals due on July 3, 2019, and a notice of intent to award issued on August 13, 2019 with a deadline for protests by August 19, 2019. The contract encompasses a three-year initial term with up to five one-year renewal options and requires the contractor to deliver five primary services: website and toll-free telephone line services (36 units over three years), recruitment services (17,982 units), training and information sharing services (9,735 units), pre-adoptive family support services (25,560 units), and adoption navigator services (38,835 units). The contractor must employ qualified staff holding bachelor's degrees in human service fields with prior child welfare experience, while adoption navigators must have at least two years of experience as adoptive parents. Evaluation criteria included bidder experience and past performance (9/10 points), education and credentials (10/10 points), staffing and organization (10/10 points), program implementation and work plan (59/60 points), and IT technical specifications (10/10 points), with the winning proposal evaluated by two evaluators and scoring 98 out of 100 total points.

Judson Center, Inc., a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Business (SDVOB) located in Royal Oak, Michigan, was the sole bidder and has been recommended for award with a total contract value of $4,200,000.00, pending State Administrative Board approval. Pricing is structured by deliverable with rates ranging from $15,000.00 for specific assistance to $50.88 per unit for recruitment services. The contractor must maintain FedRAMP certification and ensure a governmental tenant is in place before contract execution. As a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Business procurement, the RFP carried set-aside restrictions limiting eligibility to qualifying SDVOB entities. Interested parties with questions or concerns regarding this award were directed to contact Darby Peters, Solicitation Analyst, at Petersd2@michigan.gov or (517) 335-6277.