Deadlines soon: Maryland DHS pre-employment training (Caroline County DSS) — proposals due June 6, 2014

Executive takeaway

Caroline County Department of Social Services (under the Maryland Department of Human Resources/DHS) is accepting proposals for Pre-Employment Training Services supporting participants receiving Temporary Cash Assistance, Food Supplement benefits, and/or participating in the Non-Custodial Parent Employment Program. This is a single-award small procurement with award based on the most advantageous offer considering price and technical factors. Proposals are due 3:00 PM Friday, June 6, 2014.

What the buyer is trying to do

The Work Opportunities Program at Caroline County Department of Social Services intends to acquire training services that help program participants become employable and self-sufficient. The training is explicitly aimed at building the skills needed to seek, obtain, and retain employment.

The notice describes a one-year contract period running July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015, with only one award anticipated.

What work is implied (bullets)

• Deliver pre-employment training services for individuals receiving Temporary Cash Assistance.
• Deliver training for individuals receiving Food Supplement benefits.
• Deliver training for individuals in the Non-Custodial Parent Employment Program.
• Design/teach content that targets skills to seek, obtain, and retain employment.
• Support an overall goal of helping participants become self-sufficient.
• Operate as the sole awardee (no multi-award structure indicated).

Who should bid / who should pass (bullets)

• Should bid if you can demonstrate at least two years of experience teaching in an adult learning environment (explicit requirement in the notice).
• Should bid if you have employment-related training experience (preferred).
• Should bid if you can staff and manage a county-level program and be accountable as the single provider.
• Should pass if you cannot document the required two years adult learning teaching experience.
• Should pass if your model relies on being a subcontractor only (this is written as a single-award procurement; verify whether subs are allowed in the solicitation documents).

Response package checklist

• Completed proposal responding to the solicitation for Pre-Employment Training Services (verify exact format and sections in attachments).
• Evidence of at least two years teaching experience in an adult learning environment (e.g., resumes, past performance summaries) (verify in attachments).
• Description of employment-related training experience (preferred) (verify in attachments).
• Pricing response (verify required pricing template and basis in attachments).
• Technical narrative demonstrating approach to training participants to seek, obtain, and retain employment (verify scoring criteria in attachments).
• Submission instructions and required forms from eMaryland Marketplace for Solicitation # MDN0031014979 (verify in attachments).

Pricing & strategy notes

The buyer will select the most advantageous offer considering both price and technical factors, so this is not a low-bid-only decision. A practical approach is to build a compliant, evidence-backed technical response (adult learning experience + employment-related training) and then price in a way that supports delivery quality.

• Pull the full solicitation from eMaryland Marketplace (the notice references Solicitation # MDN0031014979) and confirm: pricing basis, invoicing assumptions, deliverables, and any limits on indirects or travel (verify in attachments).
• Align pricing to what you can credibly staff and deliver under a one-year period (July 1, 2014–June 30, 2015), especially since only one award will be made.
• Make your technical narrative easy to evaluate against stated goals: job-seeking skills, job attainment, job retention, and self-sufficiency outcomes (verify any required metrics in attachments).

Subcontracting / teaming ideas

• Team with an organization that can strengthen adult learning instructional capacity if your core strength is program operations (verify whether subcontracting is permitted in the solicitation).
• Consider teaming with a partner experienced in employment-related training if you can document adult learning delivery but need deeper workforce training credentials (verify in attachments).
• If you qualify as a Minority Business Enterprise, highlight participation consistent with the notice’s encouragement of MBE involvement (verify any required certifications in attachments).

Risks & watch-outs

• Hard deadline: proposals due 3:00 PM Friday, June 6, 2014; late submissions are typically rejected (confirm submission method in attachments).
• Experience gate: offerors must demonstrate at least two years teaching adults; missing documentation is an avoidable disqualifier.
• Single award: if you are not positioned to deliver as prime, your best path may be to support a prime bidder (if allowed).
• Document source: solicitation documents are referenced as being on eMaryland Marketplace under Solicitation # MDN0031014979; ensure you are working from the latest version and any posted Q&A (verify in attachments).

Related opportunities

• Maryland DHS: The Administration of the Public Private Partnership (RFGP-related notice)
• Maryland DHS: Department of Human Services (Pre-Employment Training Services notice)

How to act on this

1. Download the solicitation package from eMaryland Marketplace using the referenced Solicitation # MDN0031014979 and confirm all submission instructions (format, copies, delivery method) and required forms.
2. Draft a technical response focused on adult learning delivery and employment-readiness outcomes; attach documentation proving the required experience.
3. Build a pricing response that supports credible delivery for the one-year period and aligns with the evaluation approach (price + technical).
4. Submit before 3:00 PM Friday, June 6, 2014.

If you want a second set of eyes on compliance (experience documentation, required forms, and submission packaging), work with Federal Bid Partners LLC to tighten the response and reduce avoidable disqualifiers.