Mississippi Department of Human Services
State AgencyMS
Posted
Nov 2, 2026
Dec 10, 2026
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) Sexual Risk Avoidance Education Program RFP No. 20261102SRAEP
MDHS MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES Robert G. Anderson Executive Director REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) Sexual Risk Avoidance Education Program RFP No. 20261102SRAEP Issue Date: Monday, November 2, 2026 CLOSING LOCATION Mississippi Department of Human Services 200 South Lamar Street Jackson, Mississippi 39201 CLOSING DATE AND TIME Proposals must be received by Thursday, December 10, 2026, 2:00 PM, CT. PROCUREMENT CONTACT Kimbley Hendrix Telephone: (601) 359-4500 E-Mail: procurement.services@mdhs.ms.gov MDHS WELCOMES PARTICIPATION OF MINORITY BUSINESSES SECTION 1 1.1 Proposal Acceptance Period Respondents shall submit one (1) original, signed proposal and one (1) USB flash drive copy proposal in a sealed envelope or package to the following (mailed or hand-delivered), no later than the time and date specified for receipt of proposals: MDHS Procurement Services RFP No. 20261102SRAEP 200 South Lamar Street Jackson, Mississippi 39201 The proposal packet submission MUST meet the following requirements: • One (1) hard copy of the original signed proposal in a binder (DO NOT BIND); and • One (1) USB flash drive containing an electronic copy of the original signed proposal in a searchable Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format. • AS APPLICABLE - One (1) USB flash drive containing a separate redacted copy of the proposal clearly labeled as "REDACTED COPY" pursuant to Sec. 1.3 Confidential and Proprietary Information. NOTE: MDHS will NOT accept proposals submitted via either electronic mail or facsimile. Timely submission is the responsibility of the respondent. Proposals received after the specified time shall be rejected and retained unopened as part of the procurement file. The envelope or package shall be marked with the proposal opening date and time, and the number of the RFP. The time and date of receipt shall be indicated on the envelope or package by MDHS staff. Modifications or additions to any portion of the procurement document may be cause for rejection of the proposal. MDHS reserves the right to decide, on a case-by-case basis, whether to reject a proposal with modifications or additions as non- responsive. As a precondition to proposal acceptance, MDHS may request the respondent to withdraw or modify those portions of the proposal deemed non-responsive that do not affect quality, quantity, price, or delivery of the service. 1.1.1 Timeline Request for Proposals Issue Date: Monday, November 2, 2026 Deadline for Written Questions and Requests for Clarification to MDHS: Monday, November 9, 2026, by 2:00 p.m., CT Anticipated Posting of Written Answers: Monday, November 16, 2026 Proposal Submission Deadline: Thursday, December 10, 2026, by 2:00 p.m., CT Anticipated Notice of Award: Wednesday, January 27, 2027 Anticipated Post Award Debriefing Request Deadline Date: Monday, February 1, 2027 Anticipated Post-Award Debriefing Held-By-Date: Friday, February 5, 2027 Anticipated Protest Deadline Date: Wednesday, February 3, 2027 Note: MDHS reserves the right to adjust this schedule as it deems necessary. MDHS also has the right to reject any and all proposals during any step of the procurement or awarding process (even after negotiations have begun). 1.1.2 Rejection of Proposals Proposals which do not conform to the requirements set forth in this RFP may be rejected by MDHS. Proposals may be rejected for reasons which include, but are not limited to, the following: A. The proposal contains unauthorized amendments to the requirements of the RFP. B. The proposal fails to include MANDATORY provisions as designated in the RFP. C. The proposal is conditional. D. The proposal is incomplete or contains irregularities which make the proposal indefinite or ambiguous. E. The proposal is received late. Late proposals will be retained unopened in the procurement file. F. The proposal is not signed by an authorized representative of the party. G. The proposal contains false or misleading statements or references. H. The proposal does not offer to provide all services required by the RFP. I. The proposal fails to follow the required format of Sec. 4.3. 1.1.3 Exceptions (MANDATORY) Respondents taking exception to any part or section of the solicitation shall indicate such exceptions on the Proposal Exception Summary Form, attached to this RFP as Attachment B. Failure to indicate any exception will be interpreted as the respondent's intent to comply fully with the requirements as written. Conditional or qualified proposals, unless specifically allowed, shall be subject to rejection in whole or in part. 1.2 Expenses Incurred in Preparing Offers MDHS accepts no responsibility for any expense incurred by the respondent in the preparation and presentation of an offer. Such expenses shall be borne exclusively by the respondent. 1.3 Confidential and Proprietary Information Should respondent's proposal contain any confidential or proprietary information in accordance with Mississippi Code Annotated §§ 25-61-1, et. seq., and 79-23-1 (1972, as amended), respondent shall submit a separate redacted PDF copy of the proposal on a separate USB flash drive. The USB flash drive containing the separate redacted proposal shall be clearly labeled as "REDACTED COPY." A redacted copy will be in addition to the number of required copies as requested in Sec. 1.1 of this RFP. If respondent does include a redacted copy of the proposal, the redacted copy will be considered public record and will be released by MDHS upon receipt of a public records request. If respondent does not include a redacted copy of the proposal, the entire proposal (including attachments, etc.) will be considered public record and subject to review by the general public. Requests to review confidential and/or proprietary information will be handled in accordance with applicable legal procedures. Failure to clearly redact any proprietary information, trade secrets, or other confidential commercial/financial information may result in that information being released in a public records request. 1.4 Registration with Mississippi Secretary of State By submitting a proposal, the respondent certifies that it is registered to do business in the State of Mississippi as prescribed by Mississippi law and the Mississippi Secretary of State or, if not already registered, respondent hereby certifies that it will register with the Mississippi Secretary of State within five (5) business days of being offered an award. Sole proprietors are not required to register with the Mississippi Secretary of State. 1.5 Debarment (MANDATORY) By submitting a proposal in response to this RFP, the offeror certifies that it is not currently excluded or debarred from future contract awards by any political subdivision or agency of any state, federal, local, or county government. Offeror further certifies that it is not an agent of any such person or entity. Offeror certifies that it has not, in the five-year period preceding its offer, been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against it for commission of a fraud or criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performance of a public contract; violation of antitrust laws; or commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, or receiving stolen property. Offeror certifies that it is not presently indicted or otherwise criminally or civilly charged with the commission of any of the acts listed herein. Offeror certifies that, within the past five years, it has not had a contract with a governmental entity terminated due to the offeror's failure to perform, default, or any other action or inaction by the offeror. The respondent shall submit a completed MDHS Debarment Verification Form, attached to this RFP in Attachment D as Exhibit F. The MDHS reserves the right to deem any proposal not containing an executed MDHS Debarment Verification Form as non-responsive to this RFP. 1.6 Competitive Proposals Discussions may be conducted with respondents who submit proposals determined to be reasonably susceptible of award selection. Likewise, MDHS also reserves the right to accept any proposal as submitted for subgrant award, without substantive negotiation of proposed terms, services, or prices. For these reasons, all parties are advised to propose their most favorable terms initially. At MDHS' discretion, respondents may be required to make an oral presentation of their proposals. The objective of this presentation is to clarify any questions MDHS may have regarding proposed services and costs to assist MDHS in arriving at a final selection. Toward this end, respondents must ensure that key management personnel are available to attend if a presentation is required. MDHS will schedule the time and location for all presentations. MDHS reserves the right to waive oral presentations entirely. 1.7 Additional Information All questions and requests for clarification concerning this procurement document must clearly identify the specified paragraph and be submitted in writing to the Chief Procurement Officer of MDHS at procurement.services@mdhs.ms.gov by the deadline reflected in Section 1.1.1. MDHS will not be bound by any verbal or written information that is not contained within this RFP unless formally noticed and issued by MDHS. Respondents are cautioned that any statements made by contact persons that cause a material change to any portion of the procurement document shall not be relied upon unless subsequently ratified by a formal written amendment to the procurement document. At no time shall any respondent or its personnel contact, attempt to contact, any MDHS staff regarding this RFP except in writing to the email address as set forth and, in the manner, prescribed in this section. 1.8 Acknowledgement of Amendments (MANDATORY) Should an amendment to the RFP be issued, it will be posted on the MDHS website in a manner that all respondents will be able to view. Further, respondents must acknowledge receipt of any amendment to the solicitation by signing and returning the amendment with the proposal, by identifying the amendment number and date in the space provided for this purpose on the amendment, or by letter. The acknowledgment should be received by MDHS by the time and at the place specified for receipt of proposals as reflected in Section 1.1.1. It is the respondent's sole responsibility to monitor the MDHS website for amendments to the RFP. This RFP, all questions, requests for clarification, and answers will be published on the MDHS website in a manner that all respondents will be able to view by the date reflected in Section 1.1.1. 1.9 Type of Contract and Payment for Services Agreement(s) for services resulting from this RFP will be in the form of a firm fixed price subgrant. Payments for services will be on a Cost Reimbursement basis as detailed and required in the most current version of the MDHS Subgrant/Agreement Manual. MDHS has the authority to change the cost reimbursement method during the term period with proper notification. However, Subgrantees that receive a fully executed Subgrant Agreement may submit an initial payment request projecting their cash needs for the first sixty (60) days of the subgrant period. Subgrantees must submit this initial payment request through a Cash Advance Claim Support Form. All payment requests following the initial payment request will be on a Cost Reimbursement basis. Cost Reimbursement claims shall be accompanied by the following required supporting documentation: Subgrantee's General Ledger, Monthly Expenditure Report Form, and required Participant Data that reflects participants served, and services rendered, during the prior month or any additional required documentation. Payment on a Cost Reimbursement basis will be processed based on respondent's proper submission of a Claim Form along with required supporting documentation detailing services provided for any negotiated subgrant agreement. Any Subgrantee request for payment shall comply with the most current version of the MDHS Subgrant Manual. NOTE: Subgrantees may not use funds from this grant to be reimbursed for services that are already funded by another source, such as another agency or grant. This funding must not duplicate or replace existing funding for the services outlined in Sec. 2.4 of this RFP but should instead supplement existing programs. 1.10 Written Proposals Proposals shall be in writing, indexed, and divided by sections to allow for ease of handling and review by MDHS. SECTION 2 The Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS), Division of Youth Services (DYS), is soliciting competitive proposals from qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations or governmental entities to provide Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) programming and supportive youth services for youth ages 10-19 across Mississippi. Priority populations include youth in the community, school systems, juvenile justice system, foster care, and underserved rural regions. The overall goal of this initiative is to safely redirect youth from sexual activities involvement into structured, evidence-based, community-based interventions that strengthens protective factors, supports family engagement, and contributes to long-term positive outcomes. This RFP seeks innovative, research-informed approaches that strengthen families and support Mississippi youth ages 10-19 in making healthy, risk-free decisions. 2.1 Purpose The purpose of the SRAE Program is to promote sexual risk avoidance as defined in Section 510 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 710), as amended by Section 50502 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (Pub. L. No. 115-123) and extended by Division CC, Title III, Section 303 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L. No. 116-260). SRAE programs must serve youth ages 10-19 and their families throughout Mississippi. The goal is to increase the number of youths who abstain from sexual activity and other related risky behaviors, thereby reducing out-of-wedlock births and sexually transmitted infections. The inclusion of a sexual risk avoidance message is a vital component of Mississippi's comprehensive prevention strategy. This approach is designed to be respectful of and responsive to the diverse populations, regions, and values across the state. The SRAE Program will be used to achieve the following: • Provide information that is medically accurate, complete, and age appropriate. • Provide education with an evidence-based approach utilizing methods for adolescent learning and developmental theories for the identified age group receiving the education. • Deliver culturally appropriate and inclusive programming that recognizes the experiences of youth from diverse backgrounds, including youth in foster care, juvenile justice settings, and rural communities. • Implement programming utilizing a Positive Youth Development approach. • Create an environment within families and communities to support teens' decisions to postpone non-marital sex until marriage. • Engage families and communities' partners in youth development. • Ensure that all school-based programs are offered to students who have a disability, including those who may not be in homeroom classes. All services must be culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and developmentally appropriate. 2.2 Funding Availability & Service Models MDHS/DYS seeks to award participants utilizing one or both of the following models: • Single-County Model: Designed for metropolitan or high-population counties • Multi-County Model: Designed to serve multiple rural counties under a single administrative provider statewide Funding decisions will consider population needs, service gaps, and the provider's capacity to deliver high-quality programming. 2.3 Target Population & Eligibility Eligible youth must meet at least two of the following criteria: • Youth (ages 10-19) living in rural, or low socioeconomic communities throughout Mississippi. • Youth (ages 10-19) from underrepresented groups including Hispanic, African American, Native American youth, youth in foster care, juvenile justice systems, and school systems. Minimum service requirement: 1,000 youth and 400 parents/guardians (unduplicated) during the contract period. 2.4 Required Service Components A. Program Structure Services may be delivered through community-based staff, schools, foster care partners, juvenile justice facilities, community centers, or other accessible settings. Providers must implement a comprehensive, evidence-based SRAE model using the Choosing the Best curriculum that includes the components outlined below: • A reduction in the teen pregnancy rates • A reduction in sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates through medically accurate education. • Increase parent/adult engagement through the sexual risks avoidance classroom training, parent/child homework assignments. • Improvement in the school attendance and graduation outcomes. B. Program Delivery • Provide SRAE education in after-school and summer "day camp" settings, including but not limited to Oakley Youth Development Center. • Use the "Choosing the Best" curriculum, which is medically accurate, age-appropriate, and culturally responsive. • Develop a Sexual Risk Avoidance Program statewide that builds upon local efforts and is designed to meet the unique needs of families, youth, and schools in each community where the program is implemented • Ensure programming is positive, consistent, and compliant with all contractual, programmatic, and reporting requirements. • Increase sustainability over time of the abstinence message for participants; and sustain the provision of Sexual Risk Avoidance Programs in the future. C. Curriculum & Instruction • Address holistic benefits of personal responsibility, self-regulation, goal setting, healthy decision-making, and future focus. • Teach the advantages of refraining from non-marital sexual activity. • Discuss the impact of other youth risk behaviors (e.g., drug and alcohol use) on sexual risk. • Provide strategies for resisting sexual coercion and dating violence. • Include information on contraception as risk reduction, not risk elimination (no demonstrations/simulations). D. Community Engagement • Connect youth and families with community resource partners (e.g., domestic violence programs, rape crisis centers, child protective services, law enforcement, mental health providers). • Develop and host two community service activities each program year. • Promote youth activities that connect youth to their communities and supportive adults. E. Reporting & Evaluation • Submit quarterly and semiannual performance progress reports. • Maintain records for five years from the close of the Federal Fiscal Year for each grant year. • Contract with an independent evaluation agency subject to MDHS approval for program evaluation to ensure fidelity and reliability of outcome data. • Maintain agendas and attendance sign-in sheets (computer generated, spreadsheet format, or manual sign-in rosters) along with the individual files for all programmatic/fiscal activities, including employees paid out of Title V Sexual Risk Avoidance Education Grant. Records shall be maintained in a secure location and available for review by the MDHS and/or Health and Human Services/Family and Youth Services Bureau staff. F. Human Trafficking: Human trafficking is defined by the use of force, fraud, or coercion to compel victims into performing labor or commercial sex acts. Populations at increased risk include but are not limited to lesbian-gay bisexual-transgender-questioning individuals, individuals with disabilities, undocumented immigrants, runaway and homeless youth, temporary guest-workers, and low-income individuals. MDHS is committed to the elimination of human trafficking in Mississippi. If applicable to the subrecipient program, MDHS will give priority consideration to those subrecipients who can demonstrate the following: • Victims of human trafficking are included in your agency's target population. • Agencies that promote the expansion of services to identify and serve those affected by human trafficking. G. Appropriation Contingency: Any award made through this program is contingent upon the availability of funds for this purpose. The subrecipient agency must be prepared to support the costs of operating the program in the event of a delay in grant payments. H. Emotional Regulation & Social Skills Training • Instructional approaches that help youth recognize, understand, and manage their emotions • Activities that build self-control, stress management, and healthy coping strategies • Training that supports positive decision-making and problem-solving skills • Methods for teaching effective communication, conflict resolution, and interpersonal skills • Opportunities for youth to practice empathy, respect, and healthy relationship building • Strategies to reinforce peer refusal skills and navigating social pressure • Culturally responsive practices that ensure emotional and social skill development is relevant and inclusive • Integration of trauma-informed principles to support youth emotional well-being • Plans for assessing student progress in emotional regulation and social skills mastery • Approaches that align emotional and social skill building with SRAE program goals of risk avoidance and healthy behaviors I. Family Engagement • Strategies to actively involve parents, guardians, and caregivers in SRAE programming • Communication methods to keep families informed about curriculum content, goals, and youth progress • Opportunities for families to participate in workshops, trainings, or informational sessions • Approaches to support parent-child communication around risk avoidance and healthy decision-making • Plans to provide families with resources, tools, and materials to reinforce SRAE concepts at home • Culturally responsive engagement practices tailored to the diverse families across Mississippi • Methods to ensure family engagement is accessible, including flexible scheduling and multiple delivery formats • Collaborations with community partners to strengthen family involvement • Measurement strategies for assessing family participation and satisfaction 2.5 Expected Outcomes & Performance Measures Providers will be evaluated using the following metrics: A. Legal and Administrative Indicators • Compliance with all federal, state, and organizational grant requirements • Accuracy and timeliness of reporting, documentation, and data submissions • Adherence to program fidelity, including delivery of approved curricula • Completion of required staff training and maintenance of proper credentials • Effective management of funds, including appropriate budgeting and expenditure tracking • Demonstrated organizational capacity to implement and sustain program activities B. Health, Educational, and Social-Emotional Outcomes • Improvements in participant knowledge related to sexual risk avoidance topics • Positive changes in participant attitudes and intentions regarding healthy decision-making • Increased engagement in school, extracurricular activities, or positive youth development programs • Enhanced social-emotional skills such as communication, goal-setting, and self-regulation • Reduction in behaviors associated with sexual risk or other high-risk activities • Participant satisfaction and perceived usefulness of program services Providers must submit monthly reports and quarterly outcome summaries. C. MDHS/DYS shall require at a minimum, quarterly performance and expenditure reports from recipients and may require matching support, in-kind participation, or local partnership commitments as a condition of award. Participants Served • Number of youth (age 10-19) served as new participants. • Number of parents/legal guardians served as new participants. • Number of youth served. • Number of youth who completed the program. • Number of youth that who did not complete the program. • Number of parents/legal guardians who completed the program. • Number of parents/legal guardians who did not complete the program. • Number of females served. • Number of males served. • Number of African American youth served. • Number of Hispanic youth served. • Number of Non-Hispanic youth served. • Number of Asian/Pacific Islander youth served. • Number of other youth served. Program Implementation • Number of youth served by an evidence-based practice. • Number of youth's parents and other caring adults who attended at least one program session during the reporting period. • Number of youth who attended at least one program session during the reporting period. Training and Technical Assistance • Number of training events held (supporting documentation mandatory). • Number of youth trained (supporting documentation mandatory). • Types of training events held (supporting documentation mandatory). Majority Population • Number of youth in foster care. • Number of youth homeless or runaway. • Number of youth pregnant or parenting. • Number of youth in adjudicated systems. Program Fidelity • Number of youth who attended at least one program session. • Number of youth who were middle school participants. • Number of youth who were high school participants. • Number of youth who attended a session in school during school. • Number of youth who attended a session in school after school. • Number of youth who attended a session in a foster care setting • Number of youth who attended a session in a juvenile detention setting. • Number of youth who attended a session in a residential mental health treatment center. • Number of youth who attended a session virtually. • Number of youth who attended a session in another setting. Protective Factors • Number of youth who received services to improve self-esteem. • Number of eligible youth who exhibited an improvement in sexual avoidance behavior. • Number of youth who received services to improve parent/caregiver relationships. • Number of eligible youth who exhibited improved parent/caregiver relationships. • Number of youth who received services to promote participation in positive leisure/recreational activities. • Number of eligible youth who participated in positive leisure/recreational activities. • Number of youth who received services to improve social competence. • Number of eligible youth who exhibited improved social competencies. • Number of youth who received services to improve school engagement. • Number of eligible youth who exhibited active engagement with school. • Number of youth who received services to improve mental health. • Number of eligible youth who exhibited improved mental health. • Number of youth who received services for substance misuse. • Number of eligible youth who abstained from illegal substance use. • Number of youth who reduced illegal substance misuse. • Number of youth court-mandated to complete community service hours. • Number of youth who completed their court-mandated community service hours. 2.6 Budget & Administrative Limitations • Indirect/administrative costs are capped at ten percent (10%) • Budgets must reflect reasonable, necessary, and allowable expenses • Applicants must demonstrate cost-effectiveness and fiscal accountability 2.7 Sustainability Requirements Proposals must include a sustainability plan describing: • Community partnerships (faith-based groups, businesses, nonprofits). • Methods for leveraging local resources. • Plan for continued service delivery if grant funding is reduced. 2.8 Fiscal Upon award, Subgrantees will be required to submit monthly claim forms accompanied by general ledgers and other supporting documentation. Respondents must describe in detail their ability to provide or procure adequate accounting systems and fiscal oversight that will ensure regulatory compliance and accurate reporting. 2.9 Evaluations and Reviews MDHS will conduct periodic evaluations throughout the grant period to assess program progress and regulatory compliance. Subgrantees must be prepared to provide supporting documentation upon request. NOTE: If respondent is unable to provide any portion of the required information for detailed program and participant reports, disclosure must be made using the attached Proposal Exception Summary Form (See Attachment B). MDHS reserves the right with notice to change reporting due dates and reporting requirements at its discretion. Failure by any Subgrantee to provide reporting data may result in early termination of the subgrant awarded under this RFP at the sole discretion of MDHS. Moreover, all reporting data must be true and accurate to the best of the Subgrantee's ability. Any false or misleading information may result in denial of reimbursement and/or termination of the subgrant awarded under this RFP. 2.10 Service Delivery Contingency Plan MDHS seeks respondents who have established a successful and innovative service delivery contingency plan for continuation of services should a federal and/or state emergency be declared within the State of Mississippi. Respondent's service delivery contingency plan must detail services and service delivery methods the partner will implement, if needed. Respondents serving as Lead Agency with lower-tier subgrantees, or partners, will maintain sole responsibility for ensuring service delivery in the case of a federal and/or state emergency declared within the State of Mississippi. 2.11 Subgrant Term The term of any subgrant(s) awarded from this solicitation shall begin March 1, 2027, and end September 30, 2027. 2.12 Subgrant Renewal The subgrant may be renewed at the discretion of MDHS. MDHS will provide the Subgrantee with written notice of its intent to renew at least sixty (60) days prior to the subgrant ending date. Renewals will be for a period of one (1) year under the same terms and conditions as in the original subgrant including any modifications or amendments. MDHS reserves the right to modify the scope for any subgrant renewal and prior to renewal will request from the subgrantee updated pricing reflecting any scope modifications. The total number of renewals allowed shall not exceed four (4) one-year periods. SECTION 3 3.1 Required Respondent Certifications (MANDATORY) Respondents MUST complete the Required Respondent Certifications included in this RFP as Attachment C. 3.2 Subgrantee Documentation (MANDATORY) Respondents MUST complete the required Subgrantee documentation included in this RFP as Attachment D. 3.3 Insurance (MANDATORY) The successful Subgrantee(s) shall maintain Workers' Compensation insurance which shall ensure to the benefit of all Subgrantee's personnel performing services under the resulting Agreement, comprehensive general liability or professional liability insurance and employee dishonesty or fidelity bond insurance1 in the amount equal to twenty-five (25%) of the funds awarded hereunder. All workers' compensation, comprehensive general liability, professional liability, and employee dishonesty insurance will list MDHS as an additional insured. Subgrantee shall furnish MDHS with a certificate of insurance providing the aforesaid coverage, prior to the commencement of performance under this Agreement. Insurance carriers must be licensed or hold a Certificate of Authority from the Mississippi Department of Insurance. The subgrantee shall be prepared to provide evidence of required insurance upon request by MDHS at any point during the subgrant period and should consult with legal counsel regarding its obligations. In any subcontract into which Subgrantee enters with Subcontractors, there shall be a like insurance provision in which the Subcontractor shall provide the same coverage to and for its personnel. In support of a proposal responsive to this RFP, the Respondent shall, at a minimum, provide a binder or commitment letter documenting its ability to obtain insurance coverage in the event it is awarded a subgrant. SECTION 4 4.1 Written Proposals Shall Contain the Following MANDATORY Minimum Information: Proposals that do not include the following MANDATORY information may be deemed nonresponsive and not considered for evaluation. 4.1.1 The name of the respondent, the location of the respondent's principal place of business and, if different, the place of performance of the proposed contract; 4.1.2 The age of the respondent's business and average number of employees over a previous period of time, as specified in the Request for Proposal; 4.1.3 The qualifications, including licenses, certifications, education, skills, and experience of all persons who would be assigned to provide the required services; 4.1.4 A listing of other contracts under which services similar in scope, size, or discipline to the required services were performed or undertaken within a previous period of time, as specified in the Request for Proposals; and, 4.1.5 A plan giving as many details as is practical explaining how the services will be performed. 4.1.6 An evaluation plan listing program outcomes and explaining how the program outcomes will be evaluated, measured, and reported by various participant subgroups. 4.1.7 Identify and explain Service Delivery Contingency Plan (Sec. 2.10). 4.1.8 Total estimated cost to provide the services as outlined in Sections 2.1 through 2.7 in response to Sec. 2.5 throughout the term of the potential subgrant. All applicants should provide Total cost for the period of March 1, 2027, through September 30, 2027. Final numbers will be determined during negotiations and renewals. Total estimated cost should be presented in costs on Attachment C. Lead Agencies shall maintain for MDHS inspection copies of all agreements with partner organizations which shall also include, but not be limited to, partner organization's Budget Narrative and Cost Estimation Worksheet in accordance with the most current version of the MDHS Subgrant/Agreement Manual 4.1.9 Organization's financial statement for the last two (2) years, to include audited financial statements complete with the notes and opinion letter from respondent's auditor and/or other proof, acceptable to MDHS, of financial responsibility. In order to assure financial responsibility in performing the requirements of this RFP, MDHS reserves the right to require a current financial statement prepared and certified by an independent auditing firm. Respondents, including the parent corporation of any subsidiary corporation submitting a response, must include in their proposal evidence of financial responsibility and stability for the performance of the Subgrant Agreement resulting from this RFP. The State reserves the right to request any additional information to assure itself of respondent's financial status. In the event that a respondent is either substantially or wholly owned by another corporate entity, the proposal must also include the most recent detailed financial report of the parent organization and a written guarantee by the parent organization that it will unconditionally guarantee performance by the respondent of each and every term, covenant, and condition of such contract as may be executed by the parties. Disclose if and when respondent has filed for bankruptcy within the last seven (7) years under its name or the sole proprietor's name in a related business. For respondents that are partnerships or corporations, respondents must disclose whether any of its principals, partners, or officers have filed bankruptcy within the last seven (7) years in a related business. Disclose any company restructurings, mergers, and acquisitions over the past three (3) years that have impacted any products or services the respondent has included in this proposal. 4.2 Evaluation Procedure 4.2.1 Step One: Responsiveness & Responsibility Check Proposals will be reviewed to ensure compliance with the minimum specifications. Proposals that do not comply with the minimum specifications will be rejected immediately, receiving no further consideration. The respondent shall be notified in writing if their response proposal is rejected. Respondents must be found to be both Responsive and Responsible. 4.2.1.1 Responsive Respondent Respondent must submit a proposal which conforms in all material aspects to of this Request for Proposals, RFP NO. 20261102SRAEP as determined by MDHS. 4.2.1.2 Responsible Respondent Respondent must have capability in all respects to perform fully the contract requirements and the integrity and reliability which will ensure good faith performance, as determined by MDHS. 4.2.1.2.1 Respondent must have been in business and provided services similar in requirements and scale to those described in this RFP, for a minimum of two (2) years. 4.2.1.2.2 These minimum qualifications are in addition to a minimum score of six (6) on the Reference Score Sheet (Attachment Q) from reference interview by MDHS staff with two (2) respondent references for a total minimum scoring requirement of twelve (12) points), as well as all other requirements of this RFP. (See Attachment F & Attachment G.) 4.2.2 Step Two: Proposals that satisfactorily complete Step One will be reviewed and analyzed to determine if the proposal adequately meets the needs of MDHS based on a total of 100 possible points. Proposals that receive a total score of 75 points or above may be considered for award depending upon availability of funding. Factors to be considered are as follows: Evaluation Factors Points Budget Narrative, Price Estimate, and Financial Viability 30 Program Design 30 Performance Measurement 20 Staffing Plan and Qualifications 10 Service Delivery Contingency Plan 10 4.2.3 Step Three: The MDHS Executive Director or his/her designee will contact the respondent(s) with the proposal(s) which best meets MDHS needs (based on factors evaluated in Step Two). MDHS will then perform an internal risk assessment on each respondent evaluated and, pending results of that risk assessment, MDHS will then attempt to negotiate an agreement that is deemed acceptable to both parties. After proposals have undergone the evaluation process and received a score of 75 points or higher, MDHS will evaluate those proposals further using the following determinations to decide which respondent(s) will be selected for award: 1. Alignment With Program Needs 2. Risk Assessment Outcome 3. Budget Reasonableness & Cost Effectiveness 4. Service Area Coverage & Avoidance of Duplication 5. Negotiation Outcomes (if needed) 6. If MDHS is unable to negotiate a mutually agreeable subgrant agreement with any of the proposals scoring 75 points or higher, MDHS may reject all proposals and withdraw the RFP. 4.3 The Following Response Format Shall Be Used for All Submitted Proposals: 1) Table of Contents 2) Cover Letter 3) Proposal: Provide responses to specifications in Sections 2.1 through 2.7 4) Personnel: Attach resumes and/or job descriptions 5) References and Project Experience 6) Cost data: Estimate the annual cost of the service as directed in Section 4.1.8 to include the required Total Estimated Cost, Budget Narrative and Price Estimate (Cost Estimation Worksheet). 7) Financial Statements 8) Acceptance of Conditions, Required Respondent Statements, and Other Required Forms 9) Proposal Format Requirements 4.4 Nonconforming Terms and Conditions 4.5 Informalities and Irregularities 4.6 Conditioning Proposal Upon Other Awards 4.7 Award 4.7.1 Notice of Subgrant Agreement SECTION 5 5.1 Post-Award Vendor Debriefing 5.2 Protest of Award 5.2.1 Protest Bond Requirement 5.3 Required Subgrant Terms and Conditions 5.4 MDHS Website 5.5 Attachments 5.6 MDHS Rights Reserved 5.7 Legal Requirements ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: Subgrant Terms and Provisions (includes Subgrant Agreement, Exhibits A-I and detailed standard clauses and terms) Attachment B: Proposal Exception Summary Form Attachment C: Cost Information and Required Budget Elements Attachment D: Required Respondent Certifications Attachment E: Subgrantee Required Documentation Attachment F: Standard Assurances and Certifications (Exhibit C) Attachment G: Various forms and templates for budget, references, and reporting Additional materials include budget narrative instructions, sample budget narrative, cost estimation worksheet template, current funding statement template, and other exhibits and forms necessary to complete a proposal. (End of RFP content provided.)
