REC-n-TEC pilot initiative

The City of Cleveland Department of Parks and Recreation is issuing Request for Proposal #2025-RFP-118 for the REC-N-TEC Pilot Initiative, a competitive procurement seeking qualified service providers to deliver digital skills training and workforce development programs. The initiative aims to bridge the local digital divide and enhance economic mobility for vulnerable populations including unsheltered residents, seniors, single parents, and justice-affected individuals, as well as working-age adolescents ages 14-17. Providers must deliver evidence-based or research-based programming across a minimum of three of the city's twenty-two Neighborhood Resource and Recreation Centers, with focus areas including digital literacy and workforce readiness, advanced digital training (AR/VR technologies and IT certifications), STEAM/STEM entrepreneurship, and job and career readiness services. Key outcomes include a 25 percent average improvement in digital skills proficiency and 60 percent job placement or career advancement within six months of program completion, with an 80 percent participant retention and program completion goal. Programs will operate during one or more seasonal sessions spanning Winter (January-March 2027), Spring (March-May 2027), Summer (June-August 2027), and Fall (September-December 2027), with a one-year pilot contract term. The RFP was released on May 8, 2026, with a non-mandatory pre-proposal conference on May 15, 2026, a deadline for submitting provider questions by May 19, 2026 at 5:00 PM, and a proposal submission deadline of June 5, 2026 at 12:00 PM via electronic submission. Evaluation will be conducted on a points-based system weighted as follows: Quality of Proposal (20 points), Alignment of Expected Program Outcomes (15 points), Required Program Documents (15 points), Program Logistics (15 points), Program Design and Tech Innovation (15 points), and Evidence of Program Success and Adaptive Programming (20 points), with pricing proposals required but not scored.

Proposers must maintain professional liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence, workers' compensation insurance, and statutory unemployment insurance, and all proposed key staff members are subject to background checks and fingerprinting. The City has approved a complete waiver of all subcontracting goals under Chapter 187 of the Cleveland Codified Ordinances, reducing minority-owned business (MBE), female-owned business (FBE), and community small business (CSB) subcontracting requirements to zero percent based on the determination that the specialized nature of IT-specific digital skills workforce development training combined with the one-year pilot timeline makes subcontracting infeasible. Providers must comply with the City's Professional Services Contracts Reimbursables Policy effective January 1, 2023, which governs direct labor billing at approved hourly rates with multipliers and reimbursable expenditures subject to quarterly City approval and a $10,000 threshold for prior written approval on individual items. All contractors and subcontractors with more than 50 percent interest in the proposed contract must complete and submit the Northern Ireland Fair Employment Practices Disclosure form, and providers must submit completed W-9 forms for tax identification purposes. Specific award values or budget ranges are not detailed in the procurement documents; awards will be determined by funding availability, provider capacity, physical capacity of recreation centers, and community needs. The contract is funded through the U.S. Conference of Mayors and represents the City's strategic investment in digital equity and comprehensive digital inclusion initiatives.