Division: Lower Shore Workforce Alliance
The purpose of this RFP is to identify service providers for WIOA Out-of-School Youth training and employment services.
While WIOA identifies multiple eligible populations, the Lower Shore Workforce Development Board has identified “pregnant or parenting youth” as a priority OSY population. The purpose of the selected program will be to engage young, unemployed or under-employed parent(s) (18-24) with job-readiness and parenting skills; and to deliver a short- to medium-length program for the target group with background and skills in career exploration, soft-skills, entry level training for themselves as well as best practices in early childhood development. Program outcomes should include linkages to employers, further education/training, employment as well as services and programs for young parent(s), childcare services etc. Earlier interventions with at-risk youth are needed, encouraging the use of evidence-based and innovative strategies at federal, state, and local levels.

Project Status:
Not Awarded
Contract will not be awarded.
We are not accepting questions or bids/proposals at this time

Lead Contacts:
Procurement Officer:
procurement@tcclesmd.org

Dates and Timeline:

February 26, 2018          Release RFP

March 12, 2018              Bidders’ Conference 10:30 A.M.   One Stop Job Market/American Job Center Room #12

March 23, 2018              Questions Deadline

April 9, 2018                   Bid Deadline, all bids due by 12:00 P.M.

June 15-21, 2018           Award Letters

July 1, 2018                    Program Start Date

Main Documents

Project Q & A
Click on questions to show the answers.

Is it electronic or paper delivery that determines time received?
Whichever proposal is received last from the bidder, BEFORE the deadline, regardless of the delivery mechanism. ANY proposals received after the deadline will not be considered
Will the evaluation/scoring method of the RFP be shared?
The evaluation basis and point system are described in the RFP beginning on page 14.
75K in funding is available under this RFP, can other funding be used for follow up?
Yes, providers are encouraged to leverage resources.
How do you demonstrate parenting skill levels as an outcome?
Programs have the flexibility in the delivery and evaluation of parenting skills as part of their program design.
Are continuing education classes considered credit bearing classes?
No, Continuing Education classes offered through a community college do not receive credits towards a degree.
Who identifies participants?
Program providers identify and recruit potential participants. LSWA’s Youth Program Coordinator certifies the applicant upon the request of the program provider. Individuals cannot receive services related to the fourteen elements until certification is confirmed.
Should proposals consider follow up costs?
Yes, follow up costs and the follow up action plan should be part of the proposal.
How is monthly and quarterly reporting done?
Once the contract has been negotiated and the grant is awarded the award recipient(s) will receive hands-on training where the reporting requirements will be reviewed in detail.
Is there a minimum or maximum partnership requirement?
There is no minimum. The importance of partnerships is described on page 11 of the RFP. When developing partnerships, keep in mind that all fourteen elements must be made available to participants. If your organization cannot provide a particular element, you must develop a partnership that is able to provide the services your organization is unable to. Understand that this would be done as a referral, and your organization, as the grant recipient, is still responsible for reporting and monitoring all services that are referred.
Does an organization have to serve all 3 counties (Wicomico, Worcester, Somerset) to be eligible for this funding?
The RFP addresses this on pages 3 and 14. Programs are not required to serve all three counties but will be given increased priority during the review process.
What documentation is need for work experience tracking?
Your organization would be responsible for ensuring that 20% of expenditures are being spent on work experience. Allowable work experience expenditures include: • Wages/stipends paid for participation in a work experience; • Staff time working to identify and develop a work experience opportunity, including staff time spent working with employers to identify and develop the work experience; • Staff time working with employers to ensure a successful work experience, including staff time spent managing the work experience; • Staff time spent evaluating the work experience; • Participant work experience orientation sessions; • Employer work experience orientation sessions; • Classroom training or the required academic education component directly related to the work experience; • Incentive payments directly tied to the completion of work experience; and • Employability skills/job readiness training to prepare youth for a work experience. Reporting, forms, and supporting documentation requirements will be reviewed in detail during post-award training.
When is objective assessment conducted? In the active phase or follow up phase?
The Objective Assessment is conducted in the active phase as a tool in developing the Individual Service Strategy (ISS) and providing services.
Pregnancy can skew results and cause gaps in service. How do you want this addressed?
Your program design should address this challenge.
Is there an age limit on the person being parented?
The program participant is a pregnant woman, a mother, or a father aged 18-24. The age of the child or children does not factor into eligibility.
What is the difference between work experience and internship?
Internships are a category of work experience. WIOA identifies four categories of work experience: (1) summer employment opportunities and other employment opportunities available throughout the school year; (2) pre-apprenticeship programs; (3) internships and job shadowing; (4) on-the-job training (OJT) opportunities. Refer to 20 CFR 681.600 for a detailed definition of work experience. 20 CFR 681.600
Are you looking to award this grant to one or more vendors?
Page 2 of the RFP states that the funds are “to be distributed to one or more selected vendors.”
What if more than one vendor is selected? How will the funding be distributed?
The program proposals will be evaluated by a review committee who will make recommendations about the distribution of the funds.
Will participants need to be pretested?
All participants must take the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems (CASAS) basic skills pre- test in reading and math. Other assessments or evaluations should be given at the discretion of the program.

 

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