Department of Human Services

Maryland’s Human Services Agency

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES

REQUEST FOR GRANT PROPOSALS (RF GP)

SOLICITATION NO . CARLN /SERV /17-009-S

Foster Youth Employment Program

Issue Date : January 1 8, 2017

NOTICE

A Prospective Applicant that has received this document from the Department’s website located
at www.dhr.maryland.gov , or that has received this document from a source other than the
Procurement Officer, and that w ishes to assure receipt of any changes or additional materials
related to this RF GP, should immediately contact the Procurement Officer and provide the
Prospective Applicant ’s name and mailing address so that addenda to the RF GP or other
communications can be sent to the Prospective Applicant .

Minority Business Enterprises a re Encouraged to Participate in this RFGP Process

ii STATE OF MARYLAND
NOTICE TO VENDORS

In order to help us improve the quality of State solicitations and to make our competitive grant process
more responsive and business friendly, we ask that you take a few minutes and provide comments and
suggestions regarding this solicitation. Please ret urn your comments with your response. If you have
chosen not to respond to this solicitation, please email or fax this completed form to the attention of the
Procurement Officer, Christy Reid, at Christy.reid @maryland.gov or fax no. 410-819-4501.

Title: Foster Youth Employment Program
Solicitation No: CARLN /SERV/17 -009-S
1. If you have chosen not to respond to this solicitation, please indicate the reason(s) below:

Other commitments preclude our participation at this time.
The subject of the solicitation is not something we ordina rily provide.
We are inexperienced in the work required.
Specifications are unclear, too restrictiv e, etc. (Explain in REMARKS section.)
The scope of work is beyond our present capacity.
Doing busi ness with the State of Maryland is simply too complicated. (Explain in
REMARKS section.)
We cannot be competitive. (Explain in REMARKS section.)
Time allotted for completion of the Proposal is insufficient.
Start -up time is insufficient.
Insurance requirements are restrictive. (Explain in REMARKS section.)
Proposal requirements (other than specificati ons) are unreasonable or too risky.
(Explain in REMARKS section.)
Prior State of Maryland grant experience was unprofitable or otherwise unsatisfactory.
(Explain in REMARKS s ection.)
Payment schedule too slow.
Other:_______________________________________________________ ___________

2. If you have submitted a response to this solicitation, but wish to offer suggestions or express
concerns, please use the REMARKS section below. (Attach additional pages as needed.).

REMARKS:
__________________________________________________ __________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Vendor Name: ___________________________________________ Date: _______________________

Contact Person: ____________________________ _____ Phone (____) _____ - _________________

Address: ______________________________________________________________________

E-mail Address: ________________________________________________________________

Your comments will help us improve the competitive grant process.
Thank You.

iii STATE OF MARYLAND
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES

RFGP KEY INFORMATION SUMMARY SHEET

Request f or Grant Proposals : Foster Youth Employment Program

Solicitation Number: CARLN/SERV /17-009-S

RFGP Issue Date: January 1 8, 2017

RFGP Issuing Office: Caroline County Department of Social Services

Procurement Officer: Christy Reid
Caroline County Department of Social Services
207 S. Third Street
Denton, MD 21629
Phone: 410 -819-4500 Fax: 410 -819-4501
e-mail: christy.reid@maryland.gov

State Project Manager : Denise R.Winder, MSW
Regional Independent Living Coordinator
627 Race Street
Cambridge, MD 21613
Phone : 410-901-4253 Fax: 410-901-1060
denise.winder@maryland.gov

Proposals are to be sent to: Caroline County Department of Social Services
207 S. Third Street
Denton, MD 21629
Attention: Christy Reid

Pre-Proposal Conference: Monday, January 30, 2017 at 10:00 A.M. Local Time
(207 S. Third St. ), (Denton, MD 21629 )

Closing Date and Time: (February 17, 2017 at 11:00 A.M. ) Local Time

iv Table of Contents

SECTION 1 - GENERAL INFORMATION ................................ ................................ .............. 6
1.1 Summary Statement ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 6
1.2 Abbreviations and Definitions ................................ ................................ ......................... 6
1.3 Grant Duration ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 7
1.4 Procuremen t Officer ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 8
1.5 State Project Manager ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 8
1.6 Pre-Proposal Conference ................................ ................................ ................................ . 8
1.7 Questions ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 9
1.8 Proposals Due (C losing) Date and Time ................................ ................................ ......... 9
1.9 Multiple or Alternate Proposals ................................ ................................ ....................... 9
1.10 Economy of Preparation ................................ ................................ ................................ 10
1.11 Public Information Act Notice ................................ ................................ ....................... 10
1.12 Award Basis ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 10
1.13 Oral Pre sentation ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 10
1.14 Revisions to the RFGP ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 10
1.15 Cancellations ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 11
1.16 Incurred Expenses ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 11
1.17 Appli cant Responsibilities ................................ ................................ ............................. 11
1.18 Mandatory Grant Terms ................................ ................................ ................................ . 11
1.19 Bid/Proposal Affidavit ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 12
1.20 Compliance with Laws/Arrearages ................................ ................................ ................ 12
1.21 Verification of Registration and Tax Payment ................................ .............................. 12
1.22 Payments by Electronic Funds Transfer ................................ ................................ ........ 12
1.23 Electronic Communications Authorized ................................ ................................ ........ 12
1.24 Federal Funding Acknowledgement ................................ ................................ .............. 13
1.25 Conflict of Interest Affidavit and Disclosure ................................ ................................ . 14
1.26 Non-Disclosure Agreement ................................ ................................ ........................... 14
SECTION 2 – MINIMUM QUALIFICATIO NS ................................ ................................ ..... 15
2.1 Applicant Minimum Qualifications ................................ ................................ ............... 15
SECTION 3 – SCOPE OF WORK ................................ ................................ ........................... 16
3.1 Background and Purpose ................................ ................................ ............................... 16
3.2 Scope of Work ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 16
3.3 Security Requirements ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 20
3.4 Insurance Requirements ................................ ................................ ................................ . 25
3.5 Problem Escalation Procedure ................................ ................................ ....................... 26
3.6 Invoicing ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 27
3.7 Grantee’s Project Manager ................................ ................................ ............................ 28
SECTION 4 – PROPOSAL FORMAT ................................ ................................ ..................... 29
4.1 Two Part Submission ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 29
4.2 Proposals ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 29
4.3 Delivery ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 30

v 4.4 Volume I – Technical Proposal ................................ ................................ ...................... 30
4.5 Volume II – Financial Proposal ................................ ................................ ..................... 35
SECTION 5 – EVALUATION COMMITTEE , EVALUATION CRITERI A, AND
SELECTION PROCEDURE ................................ ...... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
5.1 Evaluation Committee ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 36
5.2 Tech nical Proposal Evaluation Criteria ................................ ................................ ......... 36
5.3 Financial Proposal Evaluation Criteria ................................ ................................ .......... 36
5.4 Selection Procedures ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 37
5.5 Documents Required upon Notice of Recommendation for Grant Award .................... 38
RFGP ATTACHMENTS ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 39
ATTACHMENT A – GRANT AGREEMENT ................................ ................................ ........ 40
ATTACHMENT B – BID/PROPOSAL AFFIDAVIT ................................ ............................. 51
ATTACHMENT C – PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE RESPONSE FORM ...................... 59
ATTACHMENT D – FINANCIAL PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS ................................ ...... 60
ATTACHMENT E – CONFLICT OF INTEREST AFFIDAVIT ................................ ............ 60
ATTACHMENT F – NON -DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT ................................ ................... 64
ATTACHMENT G – SAMPLE MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORT ................................ ..... 69
ATTACHMENT H – SAMPLE QUARTERLY PROGRESS REVIEW ................................ 74

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SECTION 1 - GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1 Summary Statement

1.1.1 The Caroline County Department of Social Services (CCDSS or the Department) is issuing
this Request for Proposals (RFP) on behalf of the Mid -Shore Departments of Social Services
to provide an Employment program for Foster Care Youth.

1.1.2 The Department intends to award one grant as a result of this Request for Grant Proposals .
(RFGP)

1.1.3 The anticipated duration of services to be provided under this Contr act is 18 months .

1.1.4 Eligible Applicants include public, non -public, or private organizations that provide services
in the State of Maryland.

1.2 Abbreviations and Definitions

For purposes of this RF GP, the following abbreviations or terms have the meanings indicated below:

A. Applicant : An entity that submits a Proposal in response to this RFGP.

B. Business Day(s) : The official Working Days of the week to include Monday through Friday.
Official Working Days exclude State Holidays (see definition of “Normal State Business Hours”
below ).

C. COMAR : Code of Maryland Regulations available on -line at www.dsd.state.md.us .

D. Department or DHR : Maryland State Department of Human Resources. Maryland’s fourth
largest S tate agency, established to administer the State’s public assistance, social services, child
support, and community services programs.

E. eMM – eMar yland Marketplace : The State of Maryland’s internet -based procurement system is
a business tool that provides an efficient means to improve vendor’s access to State procurement
information and bid opportunities.

F. Family Involvement Meeting (FIMS ): A meeting held at key points in youth’s case planning to
determine permanency plans with youth, individuals, and professionals who are involved in
youth’s life.

G. Foster Care: A temporary service that provides short -term and supportive services to children
who are unable to live at home because of child abuse or neglect. Foster children live in family
homes and group care settings. .

H. Grant : The Grant awarded to the successful Applicant pursuant to this RFGP. The Grant
Agreement will be in the form of Attachment A .

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I. Grantee: The eligible recipient of a grant, often (but not always) a nonprofit entity,
educational in stitution, business or an individual.

J. Job Placement : Matching an individual with a job in the public or private sector based on
the individual’s skill level , maturity, and interest.

K. Local Time : Time in the Eastern Time Zone as observed by the State of Maryland. Unless
otherwise specified, all stated times shall be Local Time, even if not expressly designated as such.

L. Mid-Shore Departments of Social Services – The Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and
Talbot County Departments of Social Services.

M. Normal State Business Hours : Normal State business hours are 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday
through Friday except State Holidays, which can be found at: www.dbm.maryland.gov –
keyword: State Holidays.

N. Procurement Officer : Prior to the award of any Grant, the sole point of contact in the State for
purposes of this solicitation. After Grant award, the Procurement Off icer has responsibilities as
detailed in the Grant Agreement (Attachment A), including being the only State representative
who can authorize changes to the Grant. The Department may change the Procurement Officer at
any time by written notice to the Grant or.

O. Proposal : As appro priate, either or both of an Applicant’s Technical or Financial Proposal.

P. Request For Grant Proposals: This Request for Grant Proposals issued by the Department of
Human Resources, Solicitation Number CARLN/SERV -17-009-S includin g any addenda.

Q. State : The State of Maryland.

R. State Project Manager (SPM) : The State representative for this Grant who is primarily
responsible for Grant administration functions, including issuing written direction, invoice
approval, monitoring this Grant to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of the Grant,
monitoring MBE and VSBE compliance, and achieving completion of the Grant on budget, on
time, and within scope.

S. Working Day(s) : Same as “Business Day(s).”

1.3 Gran t Duration

1.3.1 The Grant awarded as a result of this solicitation shall be for a period of eighteen (18) months .

1.3.2 Multi -Year Grant

A. This is a multi -year Grant. The services specified in Section 3 shall be provided for the
entire Grant period.

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B. The Grant shall be canceled or modified if any funds ar e not appropriated or otherwise
made available to support the Grant. Funding for the Grants resulting from this RFGP is
dependent upon appropriations from the Maryland General. Within a reasonable ti me
following receipt of notification that the funding for the Grants will be reduced or
eliminated, the State Project Manager will notify the Grant ee in writing .

1.3.3 The Grantee’s obligations to pay invoices to subcontractors that provided services dur ing the
Grant term, as well as the audit, confidentiality, document retention, and indemnification
obligations of the Grant Agreement (see Attachment A) shall survive expiration or termination of
the Grant Agreement and continue in effect until all such ob ligations are satisfied.

1.4 Procurement Officer

The Procurement Officer is the sole point of contact in the State for purposes of this solicitation prior to
the award of any Grant (see definition of “Procurement Officer” in Section 1.2).

The name and c ontact information of the Procurement Officer are indicated in the RFGP Key Information
Summary Sheet (near the beginning of the solicitation, after the Title Page and Notice to Vendors).

The Department may change the Procurement Officer at any time by wr itten notice.

1.5 State Project Manager

The State Project Manager is the State representative for this Grant who is primarily responsible for Grant
administration functions after Grant award (see definition of “State Project Manager” in Section 1.2).

The name and contact information of the State Project Manager are indicated in the RFGP Key
Information Summary Sheet (near the beginning of the solicitation, after the Title Page and Notice to
Vendors).

The Department may change the State Project Manager at any time by written notice.

1.6 Pre-Proposal Conference

A Pre -Proposal Conference (the Conference) will be held at the date, time, and location indicated in the
RFGP Key Information Summary Sheet (near the beginning of the solicitation, after the Title Page and
Notice to Vendors).
All prospective Applicants a re encouraged to attend in order to facilitate better preparation of their
Proposals.

The Conference will be summarized. As promptly as is feasible subsequent to the Conference, a
summary of the Conference and all questions and answers known at that ti me will be distributed to all
prospective Applicants known to have received a copy of this RFGP. This summary, as well as the
questions and answers, will also be posted on the DHR Web Site ( www.dhr.maryland.gov ).

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In order to assure adequate seating and other accommodations at the Conference, please e -mail or fax the
Pre-Proposal Conference Response Form ( Attachment C ) to the attention of the Procurement Officer at
least five (5) Business Days prior to the Pre -Prop osal Conference date. In addition, if there is a need for
sign language interpretation and/or other special accommodations due to a disability, please notify the
Procurement Officer at least five (5) Business Days prior to the Pre -Proposal Conference date . The
Department will make a reasonable effort to provide such special accommodation.

1.7 Questions

Written questions from prospective Applicants will be accepted by the Procurement Officer prior to the
Conference. If possible and appropriate, such que stions will be answered at the Conference. (No
substantive question will be answered prior to the Conference.) Questions to the Procurement Officer
shall be submitted via e -mail to the Procurement Officer’s e -mail address indicated in the RFP Key
Informa tion Summary Sheet (near the beginning of the solicitation, after the Title Page and Notice to
Vendors). Please identify in the subject line the Solicitation Number and Title. Questions, both oral and
written, will also be accepted from prospective Appli cants attending the Conference. If possible and
appropriate, these questions will be answered at the Conference.

Questions will also be accepted subsequent to the Conference and should be submit ted to the Procurement
Officer in a timely manner prior to t he Proposal due date. Questions are requested to be submitted at least
five (5) days prior to the Proposal due date. The Procurement Officer, based on the availability of time to
research and communicate an answer, shall decide whether an answer can be g iven before the Proposal
due date. Time permitting, answers to all substantive questions that have not previously been answered,
and are not clearly specific only to the requestor, will be distributed to all vendors that are known to have
received a copy of the RFGP in sufficient time for the answer to be taken into consideration in the
Proposal.

1.8 Proposal s Due (Closing) Date and Time

Proposals, in the number and form set forth in Section 4.2 “Proposals” must be received by the
Procurement Officer at the Procurement Officer’s address and no later than the Proposal Due date and
time indicated in the RFP Key Information Summary Sheet (near the beginning of the solicitation, after
the Title Page and Notice to Vendors) in order to be considered.

Requests for extension of this time or date will not be granted. Applicants mailing Proposals should
allow sufficient mail delivery time to ensure timely receipt by the Procurement Officer. Proposals
received after the due date and time listed in this section wil l not be considered.

Proposals may be modified or withdrawn by written notice received by the Procurement Officer before
the time and date set forth in this section for receipt of Proposals.

Proposals may not be submitted by e -mail or facsimile. Proposals will not be opened publicly.

Vendors not responding to this solicitation are requested to submit the “Notice to Vendors” form, which
includes company information and the reason for not responding (e.g., too busy, cannot meet mandatory
requiremen ts, etc.). This form is located in the RFGP immediately following the Title Page (page ii).

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1.9 Multiple or Alternate Proposal s

Multiple and/or alternate Proposals will not be accepted .

1.10 Economy of Preparation

Proposals should be prepared simply and economically and provide a straightforward and concise
description of the Applicant ’s Proposal to meet the requirements of this RFGP .

1.11 Public Information Act Notice

An Applicant should give specific attention to the clear identification of those portions of its Proposal that
it considers confidential and/or proprietary commercial information or trade secrets, and provide
justification why such materials, upon request, should not be disclosed by the State under the Public
Information Act, Md. Code Ann., General Provisions Article, Title 4, Subtitle 3 . (Also, see RFGP
Section 4.4. 2.2 “Claim of Confidentiality”). This confidential and/or proprietary information should be
identified by page and section number and placed after the Title Page and before the Table of Contents in
the Technical Proposal and if applicable, separately in the Financial Proposal.

Applicants are advised that, upon request for this information from a third party, the Procurement Officer
is required to make an independent determination whether the information must be disclosed.

1.12 Award Basis

The Gran ts shall be awarded to the responsible Applicant (s) submit ting a Proposal that has been
determined to be the most advantageous to the State , considering price and evaluation factors set forth in
this RFGP for fulfilling the purposes specified in this RFGP . See RFGP Section 5 for further award
information .

1.13 Oral Presentation

Applicants may be required to make oral presentations to State representatives. Applicants must confirm
in writing any substantive oral clarification of, or change in, their Proposals made in the course of
discussions. Any such written clarifications or changes th en become part of the Applicant ’s Proposa l and
are binding if the Gran t is awarded. The Procurement Officer will notify Applicants of the time and place
of oral presentations.

1.14 Revisions to the RFGP

If it becomes necessary to revise this RFGP before the due date for Proposal s, the Department shall
endeavor to provide addenda to all prospective Applicants that were sent this RFGP or which are
otherwise known by the Procurement Officer to have obtained this RFGP . In addition, addenda to the
RFG P will be posted on the Department’s procurement web page . It remains the responsibility of all
prospective Applicants to check the websit e for any addenda issued prior to the submission of Proposal s.

11
Addenda made after the due date for Proposals will b e sent only to those Applicants that submitted a
timely Proposal and that remain under award consideration as of the issuance date of the addenda.

Acknowledgment of the receipt of all addenda to this RFGP issued before the Proposal due date shall be
inclu ded in the Transmittal Letter accompanying the Applicant ’s Technical Proposal . Acknowledgement
of the receipt of addenda to the RFGP issued after the Proposal due date shall be in the manner specified
in the addendum notice. Failure to acknowledge receip t of an addendum does not relieve the Applicant
from complying with the terms, additions, deletions, or correct ions set forth in the addendum.

1.15 Cancellations

The State reserves the right to cancel this RFGP , accept or reject any and all Proposal s, in whole or in
part, received in response to this RFGP , to waive or permit the cure of minor irregularities, and to conduct
discussions with all qualified or potentially qualified Applicants in any manner necessary to serve the best
interests of the Sta te. The State also reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to award a Gran t based upon
the written Proposals received without discussions or negotiations.

1.16 Incurred Expenses

The State will not be responsible for any costs incurred by any Applica nt in preparing and submitting a
Proposal , in making an oral presentation, in providing a demonstration, or in performing any other
activities related to submitting a Proposal in response to this solicitation.

1.17 Applicant Responsibilities

The selected Applicant shall be responsible for all products and services required by this RFGP . All
subcontractors must be identified and a complete description of their role relative to the Proposal must be
included in the Applicant ’s Proposal.

If an Applicant that seeks to perform or provide the services required by this RFGP is the subsidiary of
another entity, all information submitted by the Applicant , including but not limited to references,
financial reports, or experience and documentation (e.g. insuranc e policies, bonds, letters of credit) used
to meet minimum qualifications, if any, shall pertain exclusively to the Applicant , unless the parent
organization will guarantee the performance of the subsidiary. If applicable, the Applicant ’s Proposal
shall c ontain an explicit statement that the parent organization will guarantee the performance of the
subsidiary.

A parental guarantee of the performance of the Applicant under this Section will not automatically result
in crediting the Applicant with the experience and/or qualifications of the parent under any evaluation
criteria pertaining to the Applicant ’s experience and qualifications. Instead, the Applicant will be
evaluated on the extent to which the State determines that the experience an d qualification of the parent
are transferred to and shared with the Applicant , the parent is directly involved in the performance of the
Grant , and the value of the parent’s participation as determined by the State.

1.18 Mandatory Grant Terms

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By submitt ing a Proposal in response to this RFGP , an Applicant , if selected for award, shall be deemed
to have accepted the terms and conditions of this RFGP and the Gran t Agreement , attached herein as
Attachment A . Any exceptions to this RFGP or the Gran t Agreement shall be clearly identified in the
Executive Summary of the Technical Proposal . A Proposal that takes exception to these terms may be
rejected (see RFGP Sectio n 4.4.2 .4).

1.19 Bid/Proposal Affidavit

A Proposal submitted by an Applicant must be accompanied by a completed Bid/Proposal Affidavit . A
copy of this Affidavit is included as Attachment B of this RFGP .

1.20 Compliance with Laws/Arrearages