Praed Foundation

The Utah Division of Purchasing, on behalf of the Department of Child and Family Services and the Division of Substance and Mental Health Services, is publishing a notice of intent to award a sole-source contract to the Praed Foundation for web-based certification and trainer development services under Utah's procurement code, with the notice period ending August 3, 2026. This is a non-competitive procurement — no other entity is authorized to certify Utah's DCFS assessment tool, the UFACET.

The scope encompasses web-based training, certification testing, and trainer development for the UFACET, Adult Needs and Strengths Assessment, CANS (Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths), and FAST (Family Advocacy and Support Tool) systems. The contractor must maintain a secure, 24/7 accessible website with automated administrative oversight; resolve technical issues within 72 hours; perform scheduled maintenance outside business hours with advance notice; provide unlimited access to training modules and interactive practice tests with automated feedback; administer certification tests with no time limits and unlimited retakes; manage annual user subscriptions with unique usernames tied to email addresses; generate monthly reports tracking user access and certification status; and operate a toll-free helpline with voice messaging and next-business-day response times. The service population includes DHHS employees and DSPD external support coordinators. The contractor bears sole responsibility for website operations and maintenance costs.

The estimated contract value is $90,070 per year for a five-year term with no renewal options, totaling $450,350. The contract will be governed by Utah Department of Health and Human Services standard terms and conditions, which require commercial general liability insurance of $1 million per occurrence and $3 million aggregate, invoicing within 20 days of service delivery, payment within 30 days of correct invoice receipt, record retention for at least six years after final payment, HIPAA and HITECH Act compliance, E-Verify employment verification, and compliance with Utah Code 63G-27 boycott certification requirements.

Vendors believing they can provide comparable or competing services may challenge the sole-source determination during the notice period by submitting detailed documentation of capability and cost comparisons to the Division of Purchasing.