Water Safety Pilot Program

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is seeking a nonprofit organization to administer a water safety pilot program for public schools in Washington State through RFP No. 2025-17. The program aims to develop and implement a water safety curriculum across 50 public schools during the 2024-25 school year, with a focus on schools serving underserved students. Key deliverables include developing a landscape analysis of water safety education, creating both teacher-facing and student-facing curriculum materials, and submitting a comprehensive report by June 30, 2025. The curriculum must cover K-12 grade levels, with approximately 30% representation per grade band (elementary, middle, high school), and can include digital materials with optional pool-based components. A pre-bid conference will be held virtually on December 16, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. PT, with proposal submissions due on January 7, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. PT. The contract period is scheduled from February through June 2025, with potential amendments at OSPI's discretion. Evaluation will likely consider the bidder's ability to meet the specific curriculum development requirements, geographic representation, and alignment with water safety education goals.

The procurement is exclusively limited to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations located in Seattle, Washington, that specialize in water safety education, legislation, and increasing equitable access to swimming lessons. No specific disadvantaged enterprise set-asides were explicitly mentioned beyond the strict geographic and organizational type restrictions. The total budget for this pilot program is $147,175, with no minimum purchase guaranteed. The solicitation requires bidders to be licensed to do business in Washington State or provide written intent to become licensed within 30 days of selection. Contractors may utilize subcontractors at their discretion, but must use the state's Access Equity system for payment tracking when doing so. The program emphasizes equity by prioritizing schools with high percentages of underserved students and aims to develop a comprehensive approach to water safety education that can potentially be expanded in future years. Reimbursement for travel expenses will be provided according to Washington State travel regulations.