Operation of a Day Resource Center

The Dane County Department of Human Services is issuing Request for Proposal #427022-HPD to procure operational services for a Day Resource Center located at 615 East Washington Avenue in Madison, Wisconsin, serving individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The center will operate daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, seven days per week, including holidays, providing daytime shelter, basic needs services, and referrals to on-site and community-based resources with a low-barrier access model focused on rapid exit from homelessness. Qualified vendors may submit proposals independently or in partnership with other agencies and must comply with Homeless Services Consortium standards, maintain service records in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) with a 95% data quality rating, and participate in consortium meetings and case conferencing. The RFP was released on May 1, 2026, with a deadline for submitting questions by May 22, 2026, responses to questions to be posted by May 29, 2026, and proposal submissions due June 25, 2026, at 11:59 PM via the Dane County eProcurement Portal, with award notification anticipated in August 2026. Proposals will be evaluated on program strategies and activities (25 points), community partners and funding structure (30 points), experience and qualifications (25 points), quality improvement (10 points), pricing proposal (10 points), and local vendor preference (5 points). The initial contract term is one year with options to renew for four additional one-year periods by mutual agreement.

The 2026 operating budget is approximately $1.9 million, with Dane County Department of Human Services providing $586,154 and the City of Madison contributing $213,000, with the selected provider responsible for contributing the remaining balance. Administrative costs are capped at 15% of the program cost proposal, and payment will be structured on a unit-based basis (defined as one day of operation) to be negotiated post-award. The current operator is Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Madison, Inc., which currently operates the facility with approximately 11 full-time equivalent guest services staff, 5 FTE in supervisory and administrative roles, and approximately 1,117 volunteer hours monthly; historical service data indicates 3,120 unique individuals served in 2024 with 89,118 visits (daily average of 243 guests) and 2,797 unique individuals in 2025 with 92,398 visits (daily average of 259 guests). Prospective vendors must be prepared to coordinate with Dane County facilities management regarding a significant property remodel funded by 2026 County capital to maintain service availability during construction. The RFP documents include a partner agencies table identifying collaborative organizations and jurisdictions that will support the day resource center's operations through a multi-sector approach incorporating municipal, nonprofit, and community-based organizations to ensure comprehensive support services and coordinated service delivery.