Youth & Young Adult Employment Program

The City of St. Petersburg, Florida (in Pinellas County) is seeking a single qualified vendor to serve as program administrator for the Youth & Young Adult Employment Program through a Request for Proposal (RFP-26-168) process. The procurement seeks comprehensive youth internship program services including recruiting, screening, human resources operations, employer development, participant placement, payroll administration, training, supervision, and reporting for youth and young adults aged 15-24, with preference for residents of the South St. Petersburg Community Redevelopment Area whose household income does not exceed 120% of Area Median Income. Key deliverables and objectives include recruiting and placing program participants within 14 days, providing full payroll and direct deposit services, offering mentoring and career counseling, delivering professional development and financial literacy training, tracking measurable outcomes, and maintaining facilities in downtown and midtown St. Petersburg areas, with focus on targeted industries including Marine and Life Sciences, Financial Services, Specialized Manufacturing, Data Analytics, and Creative Arts and Design. The vendor must demonstrate experience administering similar youth employment service operations, possess established relationships with employers and community organizations, and show demonstrated success in serving the target demographic within the past five years, with key personnel requiring a minimum of three years of applicable experience. The evaluation committee will score proposals using a weighted rubric allocating 31% to qualifications and experience, 30% to project approach, 15% to staff capacity and key personnel, 10% to the detailed fee summary and budget, and 5% to community collaboration, with additional weights of 1% each for City Small Business Enterprises, Minority Business Enterprises, and Women-Owned Business Enterprises designations, plus 2% weight each for subcontractor utilization in those categories. Written questions must be submitted by April 1, 2026, with proposals due electronically through the OpenGov Procurement portal by April 28, 2026, at 3:00 p.m.; the initial contract term is one year with City options to renew for up to four additional one-year periods based on satisfactory performance.

The procurement encourages vendor participation from Small Business Enterprises, Minority-Owned Businesses, and Women-Owned Businesses, with the Subcontractor Utilization Plan requiring proposers to describe outreach, education, mentorship, and process improvement strategies to increase involvement of these business categories, although participation goals are voluntary and zero participation will not render a proposal non-responsive. The City has established an anticipated annual budget of $400,000 for the initial contract period, with pricing submitted as a firm, fixed budget and costs required to remain within the anticipated budget; any requests for fund redistribution or changes must be submitted at least 60 days before contract renewal consideration. Participant wages must meet or exceed Florida minimum wage requirements, with private sector employers potentially providing reimbursement of 60% to 75% of the established participant salary, subject to adjustment contingent upon minimum wage increases through 2026. The selected vendor must obtain and maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including commercial general liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence, commercial automobile liability of $1,000,000 combined single limit, workers' compensation as required by Florida law, and abuse and molestation coverage of $1,000,000 per claim, with a certificate of insurance required within ten days of award determination. The City reserves the right to reject any or all submissions, cancel the solicitation, or waive minor informalities, and all vendor responses are subject to Florida public records laws after 30 days from opening.