Protestant Religious Services - DRC260091 - LORCI

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, specifically the Lorain Correctional Institution located in Lorain County, is seeking a Protestant Religious Service Provider through a contract opportunity designated as DRC260091-LORCI. The selected contractor will be responsible for providing comprehensive religious services to inmates, including conducting weekly Protestant worship services, offering religious study and education classes, providing pastoral care, distributing religious literature, and performing holiday services such as Easter and Christmas. Required qualifications for the contractor include a License to Preach and/or Certificate of Ordination, current Ecclesiastical Endorsement from a sponsoring denomination, with Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) training units preferred. The contract is scheduled to run through June 30, 2027, with potential for annual renewals, and requires the contractor to work 30-35 hours per week at a rate of $21.22 per hour, plus an additional $75 yearly compensation for mandatory annual meeting attendance. The proposal submission deadline is November 19, 2025, and all submissions must be made through the Ohio Buys system, with contractors required to complete an Affirmation and Disclosure Form detailing their business locations and service performance areas.

The contract opportunity is subject to specific state procurement restrictions, including Executive Orders 2019-12D and 2022-02D, which prohibit contracting with entities performing services outside the United States and mandate divestment from Russian institutions and companies. These orders require detailed disclosure of business and service locations, with proposals lacking required affirmations being deemed non-compliant. While no specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises are explicitly mentioned, the procurement process emphasizes contractor responsibility, which includes evaluating experience, financial condition, management skills, and ability to execute the contract properly. The position involves challenging working conditions, including potential exposure to confined and potentially violent inmates, contagious diseases, and unusual environmental conditions. Contractors must be prepared for weekend and Sunday work, as well as potential on-call availability for emergency situations. The total contract value is not explicitly stated, but the hourly rate of $21.22 and annual meeting compensation provide some insight into the financial structure of the opportunity.