Vocational Programming - Career and Technical Education (CTE) Services

The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice is seeking to procure vocational programming and Career and Technical Education services through a single-source purchase (PUR 7776) with a deadline for receipt of information by September 8, 2026, and a contract term of October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027. This is a sole-source procurement intended for Livingstone Schools, Inc., doing business as Florida Trade Academy (FTA).

The procurement is restricted to FTA based on the agency's assertion that FTA uniquely combines Department of Education-recognized school operator status with credentialing intermediary authority—a capability the agency states no other Florida provider currently holds. FTA is authorized to certify students through NCCER, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, ServSafe, and the National Restaurant Association, all aligned with Florida's Master Credential List. The agency argues that FTA's specialized service model and direct experience managing the full academic infrastructure required in a DJJ secondary education setting cannot be quickly acquired by new providers, meeting the criteria for single-source exemption under Florida Statutes.

Services are to be managed by FTA's Florida Youth College Office of Post Secondary and Workforce Education within DJJ secondary education facilities. The estimated contract value is $525,000, funded through Perkins V Grant funding from federal and state sources. The 15 business day comment period runs from the August 17, 2026 posting through the September 8 information deadline. No pre-bid meetings, site visits, or bidder conferences are scheduled.