The Permanency and Connections Expert (PACE)

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is requesting proposals for the Permanency and Connections Expert (PACE) program under RFP 260000001271, with proposals due June 26, 2026. A pre-proposal meeting was held June 3, 2026; the original proposal deadline of June 18 was extended by Amendment 1 posted June 11.

The contractor will deliver three service components: PACE-Recruiter services (estimated 275 clients annually), PACE-Permanency Review Facilitator services (275 clients annually), and Technical Assistance and Training services. The initial contract term runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2029, with an option for the State to renew for up to two additional one-year periods at its sole discretion. Pricing is submitted separately under Schedule B as hourly unit rates for each service component; the maximum annual award is $3.19 million per contract year, and the total proposed annual cost cannot exceed this ceiling. Travel reimbursement is available at the lesser of Michigan state premium rate or the contractor's usual employee reimbursement rate, with mileage reimbursable for client transportation, travel to client homes, court hearings, and advocacy-related site visits.

Proposals are evaluated on a 125-point technical rubric covering bidder experience and past performance (20 points), education and qualifications (15 points), staffing and organization (20 points), program implementation (45 points), and vendor questionnaire responses (25 points). Proposals achieving 100 or more technical points advance to pricing evaluation. The State reserves the right to conduct site visits, interviews, and reference checks and may negotiate with one or more bidders on price, terms, and technical requirements.

The contractor must maintain commercial general liability, automobile liability, and cyber liability insurance of $1 million each, with the State named as additional insured. Contracts valued at $250,000 or greater require State Administrative Board approval. Questions were due June 4, 2026; State responses were posted by June 9. Electronic submission is required through www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS in modifiable formats with a maximum 30 MB per document.