Tutoring Services for Federal Programs

Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) in Florida is requesting proposals for tutoring services to establish a vendor bank supporting students in federal programs and Title I schools, with proposals due April 30, 2026, and a Phase I public meeting scheduled for June 10, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. via Microsoft Teams. HCPS intends to award contracts to multiple responsive and responsible proposers rather than a single awardee, leveraging both district and federal funds.

The scope encompasses tutoring services aligned with Florida State benchmarks in core subject areas (reading, writing, mathematics, science, social studies), with optional SAT/ACT preparation, CLT preparation, and EOC/FAST preparation. Services may be delivered online or in-person, structured as 30–45 minute sessions occurring 2–3 days weekly before school, during the school day, after school, or on Saturdays. The initiative targets Title I sites and serves Exceptional Student Education (ESE) and English Language Learners (ELL) populations. Tutors must hold an associate or bachelor's degree (bachelor's in Education preferred) with valid Florida Teacher Certification. All employees with student contact must comply with the Jessica Lunsford Act, including fingerprinting and badging. Contractors must maintain 24/7 communication with 30-minute response requirement, integrate with ClassLink for rostering, provide weekly progress updates, and respond to emails within 24 hours during 7 a.m.–5 p.m. EST business hours. A dedicated, locally-based project manager is required and must be able to observe sessions and meet with administration in person.

The estimated annual budget is $8 million: $5.6 million (70%) from Title I federal funds, $800,000 (10%) from UniSIG federal funds, and $1.6 million (20%) from non-federal sources. The initial contract term commences after Board approval through the first anniversary month, with automatic renewal for up to four additional one-year periods contingent upon appropriations, performance, and continued need. Evaluation criteria are specifications and scope of work (25 points), qualifications and experience (30 points), and cost/value (35 points), with additional consideration for small business encouragement program utilization. Proposers must demonstrate three years of tutoring experience, authorization to do business in Florida, E-Verify compliance, appropriate insurance proof, and three business references. Questions were due April 16, 2026. An optional pre-proposal conference was held April 14, 2026. Federal compliance requirements under 2 CFR Part 200 and Florida Statutes Section 287.138 (foreign countries of concern affidavit) apply. This is a new solicitation with no incumbent vendor. Thirty-four vendors advanced to Phase I evaluation; twelve were deemed non-responsive.