Supplemental Academic Resources, Fine Arts, Career -Technical and Non-Public School Services

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, is conducting a competitive multi-award Request for Proposals (RFP-21438) to establish Term Agreements with qualified vendors for Supplemental Academic Resources, Fine Arts, Career-Technical, and Non-Public School Services on an as-needed basis for K-12 students and staff in public and non-public schools. The solicitation encompasses four primary service categories: supplemental academic resources aligned with Ohio State Standards in mathematics, science, English language arts, and social studies available in digital and print formats; fine arts programming including visual arts, music, theater, and dance aligned with National Core Arts Standards; career and technical education services including career exploration, college preparation, industry credentials, and employment assistance; and non-public professional services such as curriculum development consulting, professional development workshops, tutoring, mentoring, counseling, and program evaluation. Vendor qualifications must include proof of financial viability, relevant experience and expertise, background checks for all on-site personnel, and insurance coverage including Commercial General Liability and Automobile Liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence, plus Workers' Compensation coverage as required by law. The RFP was posted on April 6, 2026, with a question deadline of April 15, 2026 (extended to April 20, 2026 per non-public communications), district responses and addenda due by April 27, 2026, and proposals due by May 11, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. via the District's e-Procurement Portal. The contract term runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029, with two optional one-year renewal periods (through June 30, 2030, and June 30, 2031). Evaluation occurs in two phases: Phase 1 assesses responsiveness and completion of required submittals; Phase 2 evaluates proposals based on staff qualifications and expertise (15%), demonstrated ability to meet scope of work (25%), technical capability and track record (25%), cost (25%), and performance references (10%).

This procurement requires compliance with federal Uniform Guidance regulations (2 CFR 200), Ohio Ethics Law, and all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, with vendors obligated to comply with the District's Diversity Business Enterprise and Affirmative Action Program requirements and exclude Ohio sales tax from quoted prices. No specific set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions limiting organizational type are identified in the available documentation; however, the RFP emphasizes competitive procurement standards and vendor diversity compliance. The District conducted outreach to existing and potential vendors across all service categories, including identified fine arts organizations (Broadway School of Music and Art, Cleveland Classical Guitar, Cleveland Music Settlement, City Ballet of Cleveland, Glass Bubble Project, Inlet Dance, Open Tone Music, and others), career-technical education vendors meeting a $50,000 minimum annual purchase threshold (CAI, Wire Net/Manufacturing Works, College Now, and School Links), and graduation services vendors providing incumbent services (Shape Cleveland for live streaming and recording, and Wake Up Call Communication for professional photography). No specific incumbent vendors are formally designated as exclusive providers, and no set budget or contract value is disclosed in the RFP documentation; rather, the District established this as a multi-award competitive procurement to create an approved vendor list with as-needed purchasing authority, resulting in no guaranteed purchase volumes or contract values for selected vendors.