Venue for conferences and community events

The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) is issuing a Request for Proposals to establish a pool of approved venue vendors capable of hosting conferences, trainings, community forums, and engagement events throughout the state. This procurement seeks multiple vendor awards based on event size, scope, and geographic location, with venues categorized into eight tiers accommodating capacity ranges from 10 attendees (Tier 1) to 300-400+ attendees (Tier 8). Required venue amenities include breakout rooms, Wi-Fi, audio/visual support, parking, catering services, lactation rooms, and 24-hour pre-event access for setup and logistics walkthroughs. Vendors must provide a minimum five percent discount on venue services with opportunities for additional tiered discounts, maintain fixed pricing through December 31, 2028, obtain commercial general liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence/$3,000,000 aggregate, and comply with Delaware business licensure requirements. The procurement timeline includes a non-mandatory pre-bid meeting on June 4, 2026, at 1:00 PM EDT via Microsoft Teams; a question deadline of May 28, 2026, at 4:30 PM EST with responses posted by June 11, 2026; proposal submission by July 10, 2026, at 1:00 PM EDT through the Euna Procurement portal; and estimated award notification by September 1, 2026, with an October 1, 2026, project start date. The contract term is two years with three optional one-year extensions.

The RFP permits multiple vendor awards and does not restrict procurement to any specific organizational set-asides or disadvantaged enterprise designations, though quarterly subcontracting reports documenting diversity supplier participation are required from awarded vendors. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the solicitation materials, and no specific budget or award value ranges are provided, as compensation will be structured as fixed-fee arrangements tied to service completion with pricing determined through vendor proposals. Vendors must submit comprehensive proposals including transmittal letters, vendor information forms, non-collusion statements, business references, proof of insurance, and responses to a prospective vendor questionnaire through the online portal. Awarded vendors are required to submit monthly usage reports by the 15th of each month and maintain compliance with all contract terms specified in the Professional Services Agreement template. The State reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, cancel the solicitation at any time, and award contracts based on proposals most advantageous to the State rather than solely on price considerations. All proposals are subject to Delaware's Freedom of Information Act disclosure requirements, and no alcohol may be served at any events.