RISE

The Maryland State Department of Education Division of Rehabilitation Services (MSDE/DORS) is procuring a contractor to manage the Reach Independent Through Self-Employment (RISE) program, which assists individuals with disabilities in exploring and establishing self-employment opportunities. The primary objectives include helping participants develop comprehensive business plans, access financing, and successfully operate their own businesses. The contractor must provide two full-time staff members with at least three years of experience in small business and self-employment consultation, and will be responsible for delivering monthly activity reports, quarterly summary reports, and annual summary reports tracking program metrics and outcomes. Services will be performed at the Workforce Technology Center in Baltimore, Maryland, with an anticipated goal of serving 100 consumers annually over a five-year contract period. Key deliverables include individualized business coaching and mentoring for at least one year after a business becomes operational, with a focus on professional and independent business ventures. The solicitation is RFP FY24-DORS-063, with a pre-proposal conference held on December 20, 2024, questions due by December 26, 2024, and proposals due by January 9, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. local time, exclusively through eMaryland Marketplace Advantage.

The procurement is designated as a Small Business Reserve contract with significant minority and women-owned business enterprise (MBE) participation requirements, including a 25% overall MBE goal with specific subgoals of 3% Asian-American, 2% Hispanic-American, and 10% Woman-Owned businesses, plus a 2% veteran-owned small business enterprise (VSBE) participation goal. The current incumbent for this contract is Psychometric Solutions, and the estimated total contract value is approximately $1.1 million. The contract will be funded primarily through federal funds from the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, with $52,075,529 allocated for FY2025, and DORS will limit financial support to $15,000 per individual business venture. The contract term is three years with two potential one-year renewal options, and it includes specific information technology requirements mandating compliance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards, FedRAMP Moderate authorization for cloud environments, and SOC 2 Type 2 compliance. Historical program data indicates modest success rates, with approximately 37 referrals and 3 completions in Year 3, and 24 referrals with 2 completions in Year 24, suggesting a selective and targeted approach to supporting entrepreneurial individuals with disabilities.